George Claims Shelle Remains State PDP Chairman, Detractors to Be Sanctioned

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and the foremost leader of the party in Lagos state, Chief Olabode George has rubbished the claim yesterday that the state Chairman, Captain Tunji Shelle, has been removed as “null and void,” insisting that those behind the charade would be sanctioned.
In a statement which was released and delivered this Tuesday morning to the State Executives in the party, Chief George said: “They definitely will be sanctioned. It is like trying to do a coup, which definitely has no constitutional backing, and you fail. They will be sanctioned for anti-party activities.”
On Monday, 34 out of the 39 members of the State Working Committee of the PDP in Lagos State, announced the removal of Captain Shelle as the Party’s State Chairman and simultaneously announced Mr Owolabi Olorunoje as his replacement.
The Committee said their decision was reached after a disciplinary committee was set up to investigate some allegations levelled against Captain Shelle, which include the mismanagement of the campaign funds of the party and taking some decisions that were detrimental to the party.
Chief George admonished those behind the “preposterous action” to retrace their steps and allow peace to reign in the party and avoid causing disunity and unnecessary enmity in the party with the action.
“The State Chairman leading the present state Executive has delivered the best unprecedented electoral result to the party members. It is therefore very irrational for anyone or persons in the party to try to create acrimony by claiming that the State Chairman has not performed to warrant continuing in office,” he stated.
Chief George also faulted the modus operandi employed by “the detractors”, which he said was contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution on the sack of a state chairman.
“The State Chairman is a member of National Executive Committee (NEC) and can only be removed or suspended by the consent of the NEC. There is no NEC approval to the action. It thus stands, null and void. For the sake of clarity, Shelle remains the legitimate chairman of PDP in the state. All dealings with the party in the state should be through him,” he further explains.
Bode George said the actions by those he described as renegade is not sustainable, insisting that there was nothing the Chairman did to warrant his removal by anyone. He described the removal as a coup of sort orchestrated by those who never wanted good for PDP.
George maintained that the State Working Committee (SWC) should rather be praising Shelle for leading the PDP to its best performance in Lagos State. He added that the party needed to be more united than ever as it had a strong case at the Election Petitions Tribunal.
- For reaction to this article, call any of these hotlines: +353877911985 (Ireland); 07069513320 (Nigeria). Or leave a comment below
- Follow us on twitter: @XclusiveMag
Related Articles