The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has condemned the action of their former national chairman, Chief Olu Falae, regarding Chief Supo Shonibare’s fate in the party.
According to the party, some individuals are using Falae’s old age to mislead him concerning the way and manner the party is being run.
A statement issued by the National Secretary of the SDP, Dr Olu Agunloye, said the current actions of Chief Falae to cast aspersions on the social Democratic Party are completely unwarranted and are strongly condemned.
“The public is enjoined to disregard the utterances of the Chief,” Agunloye said adding that Chief Supo Shonibare who claims that Afenifere, the socio-cultural organisation in Yorubaland had directed him to take over the SDP is relying on charges of mismanagement against Chief Olu Falae, a Deputy Leader of Afenifere in order to justify his (Shonibare’s) case pending at a Federal High Court.
“INEC formally testified at the Federal High Court in the case brought by Chief Supo Shonibare in 2020 and 2021 that the March 2016 Convention on which Chief Falae based his own election was not covered by INEC. This could mean that Chief Falae’s own National Chairmanship was actually in the waters from March 2016 struggling to float, but perhaps drowning, until the October 2018 National Convention which came to his rescue.
“The October 2018 Convention presided over by the same Chief elected national officers particularly those newly created by the new 2018 SDP Constitution and legitimised the appointments of the other officers including that of Chief Olu Falae himself.
“Chief Falae presided over the ratification and adoption of the 2018 SDP Constitution at the National Convention of 6 October 2018 but Shonibare is now insisting that it is only the 2012 Constitution that is the valid Constitution of SDP.
“The same Chief Olu Falae, as the then National Chairman, along with Chief Supo Shonibare, as the then National Vice Chairman, went to the Federal High Court, the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court between October 2018 to April 2019, against Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Falae’s friend of over 43 years, armed with the 2018 SDP Constitution.
“The Supreme Court upheld the 2018 SDP Constitution in its judgement of 29 March 2019 in the case of Professor Jerry Gana v His Excellency Donald Duke, Chief Olu Falae and others,” the statement said adding that Mr Dele Ogunbameru whom Chief Olu Falae is now eulogising was summarily tried in a “Parlour Court” in April 2017 in Chief Falae’s sitting room in Akure.
“This was because of a petition brought by Chief Korede Duyile, the then Ondo State Chairman against Mr Dele Ogunbameru, the then State Secretary for insolence, fraud and gross indiscipline. Chief Falae, acting as the National Chairman and presiding judge, found Ogunbameru guilty and ordered him to prostrate to beg the then State Chairman, Chief Duyile. And the Chief closed the case.
“When Mr. Dele Ogunbameru did not refrain from serial misconduct, Chief Duyile formally suspended him from the party in November 2017. Mr. Ogunbameru remained suspended from SDP until December 2019 when he showed some remorse and was readmitted back by Chief Duyile who then notified the National Secretariat about the readmission of Mr. Ogunbameru but added that he was not fit to hold any Party office.
“In June 2020, when Mr. Ogunbameru appeared to have fully purged himself of all irresponsible behaviours, the National Working Committee, NWC appointed him as the Chairman of the Ondo State Caretaker Committee for 90 days.
“Chief Korede Duyile, Bar Dele Thomas and Mr Sola Agboola petitioned against the appointment and later headed to the Federal High Court in Akure to ask the Court to nullify the appointment of Mr. Ogunbameru. The case is still pending.
“In March 2020, when a member of House of Representatives in the Party took along Mr Sola Agboola, also known as “Dr Shola” to the house of Chief Olu Falae for some intervention in a political situation in Ondo State, Chief Falae indignantly walked out Mr Agboola from his sitting room, recalling that it was the Mr Sola Agboola who maliciously alleged at an Afenifere meeting in Akure that Chief Falae “collected and mismanaged funds from the President Jonathan regime”
“Over the intervening period, Mr. Dele Ogunbameru became engrossed again in fraudulent and anti-party activities and he was suspended by the National Working Committee of the Party in April 2022.
“Now Messrs Supo Shonibare, Dele Thomas, Sola Agboola and Dele Ogunbameru have now enlisted the collaboration of Chief Falae, elder statesman and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation to give further voice to misrepresentation and mischief with a view to defame or de-market SDP in order to satisfy their paymasters,” the statement added.
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