The Southwest zonal leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party have voided the suspension of Chief Ishola Filani as zonal chairman of the party.
Filani was suspended on September 3, by a group within the zone, for allegedly running the affairs of the party as a personal estate.
But rising from a meeting of the zonal forum in Abuja on Wednesday, the leaders described Filani’s suspension as illegal and unwarranted.
Convener of the meeting, Chief Olabode George, said only the National Executive Committee of the party had the powers to suspend Filani and not a group within the zonal leadership.
George added that the suspension order was inimical to the zone’s preparation for the 2015 general election, as, according to him, it could generate intractable crisis in the zone.
He chided the group that suspended Filani for failing to explore laid down procedures and without taking into cognisance the implication of the action on the stability of the party in the zone.
George also noted that the group failed to lodge any complaint against Filani before taking such action, adding that if allowed to stand, the order could jeopardise the existing fragile peace in the zonal chapter.
George and other leaders at the meeting called on the national leadership of the party to call those behind the action to order.
Also commenting on the suspension order, the Ondo State chairman of the PDP, Ebenezer Alade, said the party’s elders were not consulted before the action was taken.
Alade said there was no record of wrongdoing against Filani before the national leadership of the party at the time he was suspended.
