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A Federal High Court in Lagos has sacked Bode Mustapha as the National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mustapha was appointed into the office at the last National Congress of the party held in Abuja on March 24 this year.
In a judgment, Justice Charles Archibong, declared that Mustapha “is not a valid nominee nor could he have been validly elected for the office of the National Auditor of the PDP zoned to Ogun State in accordance with the constitution of the party because he is not qualified as an accountant or nominated at the state congress of the party conducted by the Soremi-led harmonised executive committee.”
In his place, the court ordered the PDP’s National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur and National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola to appoint Alhaji Fatai Adewole Adeyanju, being a qualified chartered accountant and nominated for the office at the state congress of the party in Ogun State organised by the Soremi-led executive.
Justice Archibong declared the Soremi-led executive as the authentic management body of PDP in Ogun State, the party officials that emerged from the congresses conducted by the Soremi executive were validly elected.
The court’s judgment was in a suit filed by Chief Adebayo Dayo and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo for themselves and on behalf of the Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP. The suit numbered: FHC/L/CS/347/2012 had PDP, Bamanga Tukur, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Bode Mustapha as defendants.
Justice Achibong granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs and ordered the party to accord all necessary recognition and facilities required under the party’s constitution to all the officers of the party as per the list submitted by the Soremi led executive.
The court further ordered the the party, Tukur and Oyinlola not to deal with the party in Ogun State except through the executive committee led the first plaintiff, Chief Dayo. It restrained the defendants from taking any step to prevent the officers that emerged from the congresses of the Soremi faction from concluding their four-year term as allowed by the constitution.
It further ordered the nullification of the last southwest zonal congress of the party. He ordered the party, Tukur and Oyinlola to give access and right of participation at a fresh congress to the delegates elected by the Soremi-led executive and accept for offices zoned to the Southwest, only the nominees of the Soremi Executive.
The judge, who accused some leaders of the party of disparaging the court, held that despite every persecution, the court would not shy away from upholding its authority despite all threats and undue attacks.
