Lagos PDP will appeal judgment sacking Doherty as state chairman – Ogunkelu
By Rasaq Adebayo
The Chairman of Lagos State elders committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of Cooperation and Integration in Africa, Dr Bimbo Ogunkelu has said that the party will appeal the High court’s judgment which sacked Engr. Deji Doherty as Lagos State chairman of the party.
Ogunkelu said the party in Lagos will get a stay of execution and challenge the lower court’s judgment at the Appeal Court.
He said: “We don’t accept that judgment. How can a properly carried out congress be set aside by a court because some people are not happy? It is a miscarriage of justice and we will go to the Appeal Court. We don’t understand how the Judge came to that conclusion, that is why we will appeal.”
The former Minister spoke on the position of the newly inaugurated Lagos Apex/Elders Advisory Committee.
“There is an advisory committee set up by the national advisory and strategy committee and there is also an elders committee that already exists in Lagos State, which was set up by the party.
“I am the chairman of the elders’ committee, and we don’t understand why the two groups were lumped together, however, what happened at the court does not stop the party from uniting and working together,” he said.
While stressing that the elders’ committee was solidly behind Doherty, Ogunkelu said: “The elders’ committee is not comfortable with the judgment because there was a proper congress in Lagos State where a winner emerged.
“Dr Adegbola Dominic as the acting chairman was given a tenure of three months from March of last year to end by June, to act until a congress was held. He didn’t want to leave.”
He added: “He got a fake letter from Abuja which said he should act for three months. His point of contention is not clear. How the Judge came to the conclusion that someone who got a clear letter of appointment for three months should now act for nine months or six months, is not clear.”
