Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday gave reasons why it suspended its Chairman, Hon. Philip Aivoji and his deputy, Hon. Benedict Felix.
Feli said the party took the action and directed Hon. Sunday Olaifa to take over PDP affairs until further notice because the party needed to put its house in order as this could not be achieved under Aivoji’s leadership.
PDP said this in a release signed by its spokesperson, Hon. Hakeem Amode, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, saying the clarification became imperative in view of the controversies surrounding the suspension order directed by the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party in respect of the duo.
It would be recalled that the duo were earlier suspended by their wards for anti-party activities, a development which led to pending legal tussles between them and their various wards.
Besides, Lagos PDP alleged that prior to the last general elections, Aivoji was found to be “involved in anti-party activities to the extent that a press statement was issued on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Seyi Sodipo, with the title: ‘Lagos PDP, Labour Party form alliance against APC.’
According to PDP, Aivoji, in the statement, alleged that the state chapter of party went into alliance with the Labour Party with a view of working “collaboratively towards electing the Labour Party Governorship candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes – Vivour as the state governor while the parties would support one another in its areas of strength in the respective House of Assembly elections.”
PDP declared that such was never the true position of the members of the party, adding: “There was never a time the party agreed to shift support from its Governorship Candidate in the election, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olajide Adediran aka Jandor.”
“The decision was just that of Aivoji and his co-travelers, who took the action for yet to be known reasons.
“The press statement to that effect was issued on Friday March 17, 2023, a day to the March 18, 2023 Governorship Election in the country,” the party said.
PDP, while insisting that never was it in the know of any working alliance with Labour Party (LP) as reflected in a press statement jointly signed by Aivoji, and the LP Chairman, Mrs Dayo Ekong, at a programme said it have held in Ikeja, where Aivoji was quoted to have said that the collaboration would go a long way in ensuring the state won’t be won by the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC), further alleged that its suspended chairman “sent text messages to several members of the party, urging them to vote for the Candidate of the Labour Party in the election.”
“This is not only appalling, it is unbecoming of a man, who occupied the position of the Chairman of the major opposition party in a state like Lagos.
“While we are not reaching any conclusion yet, it was the decision of the Working Committee of the state chapter of the party that Aivoji and Babatunde Tai should step aside until the court case is decided and for the party to properly investigate the anti-party allegations made against them,” PDP said.
“May we reiterate that it is our desire to have a party that is formidable, united and well positioned to provide good leadership for the people of the cosmopolitan state in the nearest future,” it added.
