Indications emerged on Saturday that the battle for the control of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State may have shifted to the court.

The factional acting chairman, Mr. Tunde Olatunde, has threatened to ask the court to jail the state chairman, Mr. Idowu Faleye, for alleged contempt of court.

Olatunde; the state party secretary, Tope Aluko; auditor, Tunji Olanrewaju; and women leader, Busola Oyebode, were expelled on Friday by the State Executive Committee.

Their expulsion followed a recommendation by the disciplinary committee set up by the party to look into the alleged anti-party activities levelled against them by their wards

They had initially been suspended by the party on July 31.

Speaking on Saturday, Olatunde said, “Shortly after we were suspended, we went to court to challenge our suspension while also asking the court to restrain the party from taking further decision pending the time the reconciliation committee to be constituted by the National Working Committee arrives in Ekiti.

“But out of desperation, they went and trampled on the integrity of the court. We would have expected that status quo be maintained while awaiting what court and NWC would say on the matter.

“We are assuring that we will use every legal means to ensure that Faleye and his collaborators are jailed for contempt. Though we are not ruling out the reconciliation being proposed by NWC, we are ready to embrace it. But if they fail, then we will resort to legal means.”

The factional publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, however, debunked all the allegations.

“Our party is a law abiding organisation, which will continue to respect the rule of law, that’s why we have followed all known due process in the matter at hand,” he stated.