From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled to hold, on Saturday, may have suffered a set back, as a Magistrate Court, sitting in Abeokuta, has restrained the Caretaker Committee from holding the congress.
The Bayo Dayo-led faction of the state exco of the party had approached the court to stop the caretaker committee, led by Tunde Odanye, from conducting any congress in Ogun State, claiming it remained the authentic state exco of PDP.
Two members of the caretaker committee had, few weeks ago, been arrested and arraigned for contempt of court by the police.
Ruling on the case, Magistrate Idowu Olayinka, who declined the request by the prosecuting counsel for the revocation of bail granted the two members of the committee, however, restrained members of the caretaker committee from holding any meeting and congress in any part of Ogun State.
According to Olayinka, a Senior Magistrate II, efforts must be geared towards maintaining law and order in the state, thus, ordering the embattled exco and the caretaker committee of the PDP Ogun State, to restrain from engaging in any physical confrontation likely to breach of peace in the state or any part of it.
He, also ordered the AIG in charge of Zone 2, officer in charge of Zonal Intervention Squad, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State command, Department of State Security (DSS) and heads of police formations in the state, to arrest, investigate and prosecute any member of the caretaker committee, found in violation of the order.
The Magistrate, further, ordered the prosecution and defence team to impress it on their clients, and witnesses, the consequences of disobedience to the order.
He, therefore, adjourned the case to November 21 for hearing of preliminary objection.