Fayose Threatens Lawsuit, Gives PDP 72-hr Ultimatum

Former Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, has demanded an apology from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over his recent suspension.

The PDP’s national working committee (NWC) suspended Fayose and several other party members for alleged anti-party activities on March 24.

However, on March 30, the PDP reversed the decision and asked members to abide by the party’s constitution.

In a letter dated March 31 addressed to Iliya Damagum, the PDP’s acting national chairman, Akinwale Kol-Taiwo,

Fayose’s lawyer argued that his client had been suspended without cause. Kol-Taiwo claimed that the reasons the party had given for the suspension were defamatory and intended to damage Fayose’s reputation.

“We are further informed by our client that by the letter dated March 24, 2023, the reversal of our client’s suspension from Peoples Democratic Party, which was done without recourse to laid down procedure/due process of law as contained in the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017) was requested,” the letter reads.

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“The Peoples Democratic Party, in retracing its steps and by implication admitting the content of the letter dated March 24, 2023, reversed the suspension of our client by a press release issued on March 30, 2023, through the office of the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“The aforesaid libelous press release was designed to smear and tarnish the good reputation of our client in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society, as well as to subject our client to odium, ridicule, and public opprobrium in the presence of his political associates and the general public.

“While we do not contend that the Peoples Democratic Party reserve the power(s) to take disciplinary action against any erring member(s), it is much more pertinent to state that the said power(s) to take disciplinary action is not absolute, the said power(s) to take disciplinary action is limited to doctrine of fair hearing as enshrined in the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution (as amended in 2017) and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended. As such, your disciplinary powers must not be seen to infringe on the right of another citizen or person.

“There is no doubt that the action of the national working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) in this purported suspension saga acted rashly on baseless and unfounded allegations, thereby making our party — the Peoples Democratic Party — not just look weak, but disorganized.”

The letter concluded by giving the PDP 72 hours to apologize to Fayose, failing which legal action would be taken against the party.