Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State took a new twist on Thursday as two members of the party’s caretaker committee were charged to court for alleged contempt.

The members arraigned at the Abeokuta Magistrate Court were Mr. Bankole Osisanya, 65, and Mrs. Nike Temidayo, 57.

They were said to have been arrested and dragged to court by the police based on an alleged petition written by Chief Bayo Dayo, who is the chairman of the faction of the party loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu in the state.

Dayo had flayed the setting up of the 28-member caretaker committee for the state headed by a legal practitioner, Tunde Odanye.

Osisanya and Temidayo were arraigned on three counts at the Magistrate Court 3, Isabo, in the Abeokuta magisterial district in suit number MA/5404/2017.

They were accused of conspiring with others at large “to commit misdemeanor to wit contempt of court and conduct likely to cause breach of the peace and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.”

They were equally accused of  “conducting themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the public peace by organising a PDP caretaker committee meeting contrary to a subsisting Federal High Court judgement and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them before the magistrate, I.O. Olayinka.

Their counsel, Kayode Akinsola, faulted the arraignment of the caretaker committee members, arguing that the case was pending at a Federal High Court, Lagos.

The magistrate later granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N200,000 and two responsible sureties.

The case was adjourned to October 5 and 6, 2017 for hearing.

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