Ogun PDP Crisis: Court Joins Bamgbose, Others As Parties In Abuja Suit
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday has joined the newly elected Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Samson Bamgbose and three others, Bimbo Lanre-Balogun, Segun Awoyomi and Mulikat Kusimo as necessary parties in a suit filed by the national leadership of the PDP at the behest of Hon. Ladi Adebutu against the erstwhile Chief Adebayo Dayo-led State Executive Committee of the Party.
It also retained Prince Ajibola Oluyede as counsel to the Ogun State Executive Committee (Exco) of the Party.
You will recall that Bayo Dayo had written a 30th of March, 2020, purportedly debriefing Oluyede as counsel to the State Exco.
This move was, however, challenged by Bamgbose and other members of the State Executive Committee who retained Oluyede as their counsel through their counter letters of 31st March, 2020 and 8th April, 2020.
When the matter came up today Oluyede informed the court that Dayo has been compromised and his intention is to align with the plaintiff to get a judgment that will be favourable to him and the plaintiff, hence he cannot decide who should be the counsel to State Exco; more so, he has been suspended and his term of office has also elapsed.
Chief Adeniyi Odugbesan tried in vain to convince the court on why he should be heard and admitted as the new counsel to the State Exco.
The court granted the application of interested parties seeking to be joined as defendants in the matter (Bamgbose, Lanre-Balogun, Awoyomi and Kusimo) and further held that Oluyede will continue to act as counsel to the Ogun State PDP Exco while Odugbesan will be counsel to Dayo.
With this development, the effort by Dayo and his cohorts to collude with the Ladi Adebutu group and have a smooth sail by shutting out the Bamgbose-led State Exco has failed woefully.
The court thereafter adjourned till 30th June, 2020, for definite hearing of the matter.
This was stated in a letter by Bar Oluyede to State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bamgbade and State Exco,
The matter came up today before Justice Mohammed of Abuja Division FHCT.
As you know we had several applications for you and other members of the Exco pending.
The Plaintiff’s lawyer desperate for the case to go on first made a proposal that the parties seeking to be joined should be joined in their personal capacity and the matter proceed to substantive hearing with ADEBAYO DAYO representing the State Exco.
I rejected the proposal and made a counter proposal that you and others be joined for yourselves personally and representing other members of Exco apart from ADEBAYO DAYO who can stay on as a party in his own personal capacity.
After much back and forth the court eventually proposed that you and others be joined for yourselves and representing other members of the Exco so that ADEBAYO DAYO remains for himself and can retain his separate lawyer (Odugbesan) whilst I represent the seven of you now joined as representing yourselves and other members of the Exco.
We all agreed with the judge’s proposal (which was my proposal anyway).
The court then joined 7 of you for yourselves and representing other members of Exco.
ADEBAYO DAYO will remain as 1st Defendant in his personal capacity and represented by his lawyer whilst I will represent the 7of you.
