UPDATE: Oyinlola visits Jonathan, says he remains PDP authentic Secretary
A former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has insisted that he remains the authentic national secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He was fielding questions from State House correspondents today after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan. Oyinlola, an axed national secretary of the PDP, was led to the president’s office by the party’s […]
A former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has insisted that he remains the authentic national secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He was fielding questions from State House correspondents today after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
Oyinlola, an axed national secretary of the PDP, was led to the president’s office by the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.
The former governor maintained that in the face of the law, he remains the party’s authentic national secretary, saying anybody occupying the office at the moment is a mere pretender.
“All I am telling you is that Oyinlola, in the face of the law, remains the authentic secretary of the PDP. Anybody in that office, for now, is a pretender”, he said.
An Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Abdul Kafarati, had on January 2013 sacked Oyinlola from office on the ground that the South-West congress of the party which produced him as a nominee was in violation of two separate orders of a Lagos Federal High Court which nullified the congress.
Although the PDP had replaced him with Professor Wale Oladipo, Oyinlola had challenged his removal in court.
Last November, an Abuja Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice J.T. Toh, reinstated Oyinlola as the national secretary of the party, ruling that the lower court acted in error
Our correspondent reports that yesterday’s closed door meeting which Jonathan held with Oyinlola was barely few weeks to the gubernatorial election in Osun State.
Oyinlola had been rumoured to have been hobnobbing with the All Progressives Congress.
The leadership of the APC had reportedly last week visited Oyinlola at his Okuku hometown to woo him for the re-election bid of the incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
The former governor had Monday declared that his quitting or staying in the People’s Democratic Party rested on President Jonathan.
Although it was gathered that Jonathan yesterday appealed to Oyinlola to be fully part of the PDP’s efforts towards winning the Osun State governorship election coming up on August 9.
But the former governor told journalists that he was at the Aso Rock Villa mainly to discuss with the president, how to move the fortunes of the PDP forward.
“I was taken to the Villa by the chairman of the party PDP, and we had some discussions as to how to move the fortunes of the party forward”, he said.
EARLIER…
President Goodluck Jonathan this morning held a closed door meeting with a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
This is barely few weeks to the gubernatorial election in the state.
Oyinlola, an axed national secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu.
The meeting, which commenced at about 11.30 am, is still going as of the time of filing this report (12.15pm).
Sources hinted that the meeting was aimed at wooing Oyinlola back to the PDP.
The former governor had been rumoured to have been hobnobbing with the All Progressives Congress.
The leadership of the APC had reportedly last week visited Oyinlola at his Okuku hometown to woo him for the re-election bid of the incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
The former governor had Monday declared that his quitting or staying in the People’s Democratic Party rested on President Jonathan.