Crisis hits Ogun, Osun PDP Ward congresse

 

Following the just concluded congress meeting, there was crisis and confusion at the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State on Saturday over the conduct of the ward congresses.

Delegates elected at the state congresses will eventually elect the state executives of the party.

One of the ward chairmanship aspirants of the PDP, Bayo Faforiji, and thousands of his supporters had stormed the party’s secretariat as early as 8:30am to protest the alleged hoarding of forms by the state PDP Chairman, Gani Olaoluwa.

Faforiji’s supporters almost lynched a supporter of Soji Adagunodo, who is also a chairmanship aspirant, but for the timely intervention of security men at the scene.

Faforiji, who is said to be supported by Iyiola Omisore, accused Olaoluwa of not giving forms to his supporters in order to disenfranchise them in the election despite that he paid the stipulated amount of money for the forms and fulfilled other requirements.

But Adagunodo, who is said to be enjoying the backing of the National Secretary of the PDP, Wale Oladipo, debunked the allegation against his camp, saying his opponent was not prepared for the congress.

Adagunodo said Faforiji’s camp paid late for the forms and decided to disrupt the congress because they knew defeat was staring them in the face.

In Ogun, three different factions of the state chapter of the PDP on Saturday held parallel ward congresses in the 236 wards in the state.

The three factions are those led by the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and a member of House Representatives, representing Remo Federal Constituency, Ladi Adebutu.

In a media briefing held on Friday in Abeokuta, nine members of the 14-man State Executive Council of the party had threatened to organise a parallel congress, alleging that both the state chairman and the secretary of the party, Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo respectively, had sidelined other executives.

The nine members, led by the state Organising Secretary, PDP, Folashade Filani, alleged that Dayo and Sodipo did not carry them along in the affairs of the party.

The faction made real its threat by having their congresses separately alongside that of the Dayo-led executive.

Our correspondent, who monitored the process in Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Sagamu and Ikenne Local Government Areas, observed that different groups were at different areas within the same ward conducting their elections.

While speaking with journalists at the party’s secretariat, the Chairman of the Congress Committee, Muhammed El-Yakubu, said he was not aware of any other PDP faction other than the one recognized by the National Working Committee of the party.

He said he was satisfied with the conduct of the congresses having visited some wards in Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro and Ifo, among others.

Ogun PDP chairman, corroborated the congress committee chairman, stated that “there is only one recognised ward congress and that is the one recognised by the party at the national level.”

But Filani told our correspondent that the congress held by her group believed to be loyal to Adebutu was the valid exercise.

Also, a former member of Ogun State House of Assembly, Johnson Olu-Fatoki, who is said to be loyal to the Bankole-led faction, told our correspondent that his group held the exercise at the designated venue by the PDP national leadership.