BY DAYO JOHNSON

AKURE – CRISIS in the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, got messier yesterday as an Akure High Court restrained the party chairman, Dr Tayo Dairo and members of his executive from acting in that capacity until further notice.

 The development in the party over ministerial list has further worsened the squabbles occasioned by the suspension of the Defence Minister, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode SAN.

The gang up against Kayode further degenerated to the suspension of the former Governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Agagu and the sack of the Dairo-led executives by the leaders and stakeholders of the party in the state.

A factional chairman who is Nigeria’s ambassador to Australia, Prof. Olu Agabi has been inaugurated together with eight other executive committee members.

But yesterday, an High Court Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi restrained the members of the State Working Committee from further acting pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in the case.

They were restrained by themselves, their agents, servants, privies and surrogates from further operation of the bank accounts of the Ondo State PDP and from sending or receiving correspondence on behalf of the party.
Also, they were barred by the order of the court from further running or conducting the affairs of the party pending the determination of the Motion on Notice before the court.

In an affidavit signed by Dele Faboro on behalf of the plaintiffs including Stephen Olemija, Ajayi Bakare and Toyin Aladetoyinbo, they posited that the executive members of the party were not elected in accordance with the constitution of the party.

According to them, “the executives were handpicked by  Dr Olusegun Agagu without recourse to the constitution of the party, with the thought that the arrangement would only last for a while. 

The plaintiffs said since 2007 when the executives were handpicked and with the exit of the Dr Agagu’s government, the executives had led the party to series of electoral failures .