Police lock up Ondo PDP secretariat, sack officials

Armed policemen on Monday
stormed the secretariat of the
Ondo State chapter of the
Peoples Democratic Party, sacked
its members of staff and officials
and sealed up the complex.
It was learnt that the policemen,
apparently enforcing the
dissolution order of the National
Working Committee of the party's
executive, arrived the party office
as early as 8am and ordered the
members of staff out of the
office and locked up the doors.
The policemen, numbering about
20, had not left the premises of
the party secretariat, located at
the Oyemekun-Adesida Road, as
of the time (5pm) of filing this
report.
The Chairman of the dissolved
executive, Ebenezer Alabi, while
reacting to the development, said
it was a confirmation of their
fears that Governor Olusegun
Mimiko was coming to take over
the party and displace old
members of the party.
He said the shut secretariat had
been the office of the party since
1998 but a new office which
was the former office of the
Labour Party had been opened
for a faction of the PDP.
Alabi said since the matter was
already in court, they would wait
for the outcome, adding that he
believed justice would prevail.
The Police Public Relations Officer
of the Ondo State Command, Mr.
Wole Ogodo, was reluctant to
comment on the issue. But after
much prompting he said that he
would find out the reasons
behind the deployment of the
policemen to the secretariat.
Meanwhile, some members of
the PDP in Akure North Local
Government Area of the state
have restated their decision to
remain in the party, contrary to
reports that they would dump
the PDP.
Their statement came even as
there were indications that the
chairman of the dissolved
executive of the party, who is
from the local government, may
be dumping the party with his
supporters for the PDP.
A statement by the Akure North
PDP Chairman, Chief Nathaniel
Babalola, whose executive was
also dissolved, said, "We hereby
state categorically that we have
unalloyed and total support for
our President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, and the leader of our
party in Ondo State, in person of
our highly esteemed Governor,
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, whose
competence and leadership
qualities have always being a
point of reference as well as a
source of envy to many."
Babalola, who made the pledge
while on a solidarity visit to
Mimiko, also noted that it was
the joy of the entire party
members in the local government
to have Mimiko as their leader.
"Let it be noted that the entire
PDP members in Akure North
Local Government will find
comfort in associating with our
leader in the state and that we
are not prepared to do
otherwise, contrary to the
mischievous and unsolicited
publication."
Mimiko, who was represented by
his Chief of Staff, Dr. Kola
Ademujimi, said the governor
and the entire members of the
PDP decided to support Jonathan
because of the wonderful works
he was doing in the various
sectors of the economy.
He enjoined party members in
the local government to remain
calm and continue to work for
the progress of the party.