Oyinlola Appeal Court Victory Divides Osun PDP

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, November 7th, 2013

Kayode Adelowokan, Lagos

The victory of former Osun state governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in Court of Appeal, which declared him the substantive national secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has divided state working committee of the party in Osun state.

Former Osun state governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola

Shortly after news filtered-in that Prince Oyinlola won his appeal against Justice Abdulkafarati’s verdict, which removed him from office earlier in the year, members of the SWC of the party, who address journalists expressed divergent views concerning the judgment.

Although, they all craved anonymity, three SWC members’ in a separate chat with a close source, welcomed the verdict of the court, saying it will bring members loyal to the former governor, who have until now shunned all events organised by the state leadership of the party, back to the fold and thereby, brighten the chances of whoever picks the party’s ticket for next year’s governorship election.

This position was however controverted by an influential member in the SWC, who described the judgment of the court as “setback for Osun PDP after recovering from the crisis it witnessed since Oyinlola joined new PDP.”

His words, “What is there to be excited about? Court returns Oyinlola as national secretary is nothing to be excited about. The party has recovered from the crisis it witnessed when Oyinlola was removed. A new national secretary from Osun state has been sworn-in. So there is nothing interesting in that development at all.”

Meanwhile, a loyalist of Oyinlola, who is also a member of State Working Committee of the party in the state from Osun East Senatorial District, while commenting on the verdict of court appeal, said, “We are very excited because many members loyal to Oyinlola have been estranged since he was fraudulently pushed out of the party. We have waited for this judgment since Monday this week and we are very happy that it turns out like this”.