Not happy with the recent comment, the National leadership of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) on Monday attacked and described the statement credited to the former Chairman of the party, Chief Olu Falae, that anybody claiming to be the National Chairman of the party is “floating on water” as fallacious and malicious mis-statement, capable of distorting facts or to influence pending court process.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the National Secretary of the party, Dr. Olu Agunloye, who said such statement is not expected from a revered leader like Falae, the former chairman of the party, and said the statement should be seen as his personal view.
Agunloye who maintained that the statement is grossly erroneous and misleading, said the party decided to respond to the former Secretary to the Federal Government claims for clarity and to put the record straight, saying “this is necessary to show the public where Chief Olu Falae erred”
The SDP Secretary stated that Falae who abruptly resigned his appointment as the National Chairman of the party some seven days to the 2019 general elections and publicly announced this resignation and his retirement from politics, has proceeded to mislead the public and has attempted to create a faction of SDP in Ondo state after his resignation and retirement from politics.
Agunloye however, said the current actions of Falae to cast aspersions on SDP are completely unwarranted and are strongly condemned, and enjoined member of the public to disregard the utterances of Falae.
Putting the record straight, Agunloye alleged that Falae who has lost touch with happening in the party has been romancing with the then National Vice Chairman, Supo Shonibare and his supporters while the group lured him to place unfounded personal opinion in the public domain.
He said “Chief Supo Shonibare who claims that Afenifere, the socio-cultural organisation in Yorubaland had directed him to take over the SDP is relying on charges of mismanagement against Chief Olu Falae, a Deputy Leader of Afenifere in order to justify his (Shonibare’s) case pending at a Federal High Court.
“INEC formally testified at the Federal High Court in the case brought by Chief Supo
Shonibare in 2020 and 2021 that the March 2016 Convention on which Chief Falae based his own election was not covered by INEC. This could mean that Chief Falae’s own National Chairmanship was actually in the waters from March 2016 struggling to float, but perhaps drowning, until the October 2018 National Convention which came to his rescue.
“The October 2018 Convention presided over by the same Chief elected national officers particularly those newly created by the new 2018 SDP Constitution and legitimised the appointments of the other officers including that of Chief Olu Falae himself.
“Chief Falae presided over the ratification and adoption of the 2018 SDP Constitution at the National Convention of 6 October 2018 but Shonibare is now insisting that it is only the 2012 Constitution that is the valid Constitution of SDP.
“The same Chief Olu Falae, as the then National Chairman, along with Chief Supo
Shonibare, as the then National Vice Chairman, went to the Federal High Court, the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court between October 2018 to April 2019, against Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Falae’s friend of over 43 years, armed with the 2018 SDP Constitution.
He explained further “The Supreme Court upheld the 2018 SDP Constitution in its judgement of 29 March 2019 in the case of Professor Jerry Gana v His Excellency Donald Duke, Chief Olu Falae and
others.
” Mr. Dele Ogunbameru whom Chief Olu Falae is now eulogising was summarily tried in a “Parlour Court” in April 2017 in Chief Falae’s sitting room in Akure. This was because of a petition brought by Chief Korede Duyile, the then Ondo State Chairman against Mr Dele
Ogunbameru, the then State Secretary for insolence, fraud and gross indiscipline.
“Chief Falae, acting as the National Chairman and presiding judge, found Ogunbameru guilty and ordered him to prostrate to beg the then State Chairman, Chief Duyile. And the Chief
closed the case.
“When Mr. Dele Ogunbameru did not refrain from serial misconducts, Chief Duyile formally suspended him from the party in November 2017. Mr. Ogunbameru remained suspended
from SDP until December 2019 when he showed some remorse and was readmitted back by Chief Duyile who then notified the National Secretariat about the readmission of Mr. Ogunbameru but added that he was not fit to hold any Party office.
” In June 2020, when Mr. Ogunbameru appeared to have fully purged himself of all
irresponsible behaviours, the National Working Committee, NWC appointed him as the Chairman of the Ondo State Caretaker Committee for 90 days.
“Chief Korede Duyile, Bar Dele Thomas and Mr Sola Agboola petitioned against the
appointment and later headed to the Federal High Court in Akure to ask the Court to nullify the appointment of Mr. Ogunbameru. The case is still pending.
” In March 2020, when a member of House of Representatives in the Party took along Mr Sola Agboola, also known as “Dr Shola” to the house of Chief Olu Falae for some
intervention in a political situation in Ondo State, Chief Falae indignantly walked out Mr Agboola from his sitting room, recalling that it was the Mr Sola Agboola who maliciously alleged at an Afenifere meeting in Akure that Chief Falae “collected and mismanaged
funds from the President Jonathan regime”
“Over the intervening period, Mr. Dele Ogunbameru became engrossed again in fraudulent and anti-party activities and he was suspended by the National Working Committee of the Party in April 2022.
“Now Messrs Supo Shonibare, Dele Thomas, Sola Agboola and Dele Ogunbameru have now enlisted the collaboration of Chief Falae, elder statesman and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation to give further voice to misrepresentation and mischief with a view to defame or de-market SDP in order to satisfy their paymasters.
“The current actions of Chief Falae to cast aspersions on the Social Democratic Party are completely unwarranted and are strongly condemned. The public is enjoined to disregard the utterances of Falae”.
