From JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI and JACKSON UDOM - 30.06.2006

The National Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmadu Ali, handed down the warning in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the Sokoto State chapter of the party who was at the National Secretariat of the party on a solidarity visit.

Senator Ali declared that since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already released the names of registered political parties and their national officers, the issue of national officers of all the political parties, including the PDP, had been laid to rest.

He made it clear that the party would not fold its arms and watch while it was being disorganised. Senator Ali said that should those involved continue to parade themselves as officers and members of the PDP, the party would make a formal request to the appropriate security agencies for their arrest.

On the 2007 elections, Senator Ali said that only credible candidates would be fielded at all levels while all aspirants would have to face the primaries.

In another development, the South-West zonal leadership on Thursday suspended with immediate effect, zonal vice chairman of the party, Senator Yinka Omilani. The suspension, which was part of the six-point communique issued at the end of the zonal executive meeting of the party, held in the conference room of the Premier Hotel, was signed by 15 zonal officers of the party.

The communique, which was read by the zonal youth leader, Mr. Dare Adeleke, accused the suspended vice chairman of disregarding an order from the zonal exco to the senator, noting that “the meeting evaluated the leadership of Senator Omilani and considered the issues raised on the call to order and notice of vote of no confidence served him and the meeting noted with regrets Senator Omilani’s utter disregard to the order.

“Due to the refusal of Senator Omilani to the issue raised and the need to move the party forward in view of the forthcoming general election, the zonal executive committee unanimously decided to suspend with immediate effect, Senator Yinka Omilani as the vice chairman South-West of the party,” the communique added.

According to the communique, “the zonal executive committee hereby appoints Chief Okanlawon Soboyede, the incumbent Zonal Secretary as Acting Vice Chairman South-West of the PDP, pending the extraordinary meeting of the governors of the South-West and our proposed meeting with the leader of the party, President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Similarly, the Osun State chapter of the party would be contacted to submit their nominee for the position,” the release added. Reacting to the rumour that the suspension of the vice chairman might not be unconnected with the cold war between Omilani and the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Bode George, Mr. Adeleke stated that, “the development has nothing to do with the relationship of the duo, “in fact the two of them are best of friends and it is entirely a zonal matter.”

Speaking further, Adeleke stated that “the inactiveness of the party chieftain and his inability to inject life into the party in the zone was the major reason behind this action. When Chief Bode George was here, we saw how he was able to inject action into the party, which saw the South-West zone falling like a pack of cards to the party in 2003.

“In less than a year to an election, the party is not heard and seen in the zone, hence the need to suspend him from office so that the party can move forward.” Calls made to the various mobile sets of Senator Omilani for his reaction on his suspension did not go through as the phones were switched off.