The newly inaugurated state executive committee of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party led by its chairman, Sikirulahi Ogundele, on Monday formally took over the secretariat from the Bayo Dayo-led executive.
The new executive took over the party secretariat located along Presidential Boulevard, Oke Mosan Road, Abeokuta, around 1.45pm.
The new executive was elected into office last Saturday.
However, spokesman for the Bayo Dayo-led executive loyal to the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the Senate, Senator Buruji Kashamu, Bolaji Adeniji, has described the action as impunity of the highest order.
Adeniji said the Ogundele group would be dislodged within the next 24 hours.
He said there was still a subsisting Federal High Court order of 2016, which gave the Bayo Dayo-led group a four-year tenure and they would remain in office till 2020.
Policemen, operatives of the Department of State Services among others were seen at the entrance of the secretariat to prevent a breakdown of the law and order.
Speaking with journalists shortly after taking over the party secretariat, Ogundele said the decision by the new executive was a directive from the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Ogundele, who was in company with some members of the executive and party faithful, noted that contrary to the expectation of many, the takeover was peaceful and non-violent.
He said, “We have come to take over the state PDP secretariat, this is because there was a directive from the national secretariat to do so. We did that peacefully.
“Like I have said that at the appropriate time, we will take-over the party secretariat from Bayo Dayo and his co-travellers.
“There was no resistance whatsoever and the exercise has been done without recourse to any form of violence or security breach. What we did was to take what rightly belonged to us.”
Sikirulahi, however, alleged that property and other valuables at the secretariat belonging to the party worth N5m, were “either vandalised or carted away by the sacked executive.”
