Crisis trailed the much publicized congresses of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo and Ogun states as party members in the two states produced two parallel executive councils.
In Oyo State, the first congress held at Baptist Grammar School, Oke-Ado and it witnessed the presence of former Senate Chief Whip, Hosea Agboola, former Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Azeem Gbolarunmi, SDP gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 election, Seyi Makinde, Dare Adeleke and Alhaja Bose Adedibu.
While speaking, Hon.Mulikat Adeola-Akande stated that efforts to resolve some issues affecting the smooth conduct of the congress were underway.
She however, added that in order to avoid bloodshed among party members and supporters prompted the idea of the parallel congress.
She confirmed that PDP in the state remains one, and will continue to be one.
Engr. Seyi Makinde also in his submission, assured the party members, supporters and the people in the state generally that the foundation laid today will lead take the party to the state government house in 2019.
He noted that the lasting solution the leaders of the party from the national secretariat is putting in place is to ensure cooperation among party members.
The congress which had about 750 accredited delegates produced Chief Jacob Gbadebo Adetoro as state Chairman, while Segun Ogunlade and Wasiu Adeleke emerged as Vice Chairman and Secretary respectively. A former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Eesuola was elected Public Relations Officer.
They emerged through voice votes after adoption by accredited delegates as there was no opposition to their nomination.
At the other congress which held at Watershed Event Centre, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha emerged chairman while Alhaji Wasiu Emiola became secretary.
With the new development, the party is now divided along Ladoja and Seyi Makinde factions.
Behind Ladoja are Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Barr. Sharafadeen Alli, Hon. Maroof Akinwande Sen Hamzat Ayo Adeseun, Hon Bayo Lawal, Bar Bayo Lawal, Hon Bimbo Adepoju, Chief Bisi Ilaka, Hon Muraina Saubana, Sen Gbenga Babalola, Arc Bash Lawal, Alh Bola Akinyemi, Chief Saka Balogun, Hon Nureni Adisa, Dr Nureni Adeniran, Asiwaju Yemi Aderibigbe, Engr Akeem Olatunji and others.
Seyi Makinde has behind him Sen. Hosea Ayoola, Hon. Mulikat Adeola Akande, Engr. Femi Babalola, Barr. Hazeem Gbolarunmi and Hon. Kehinde Ayoola.
While Ladoja adopted Mustapha as their preferred choice, Makinde preferred Adetoro.
It was gathered that on Friday, attempts by Ladoja to allegedly force others to accept Mustapha as the consensus candidate for the chairmanship position was rejected.
A party source said that “it would have been possible if not for the fact that Ladoja and members of his group wanted to take other juicy positions together with the chairmanship seat.”
The Seyi Makinde-sponsored congress did not start until 1 pm at Oke-Ado and the Ladoja faction started at 4 pm at Old Ife Road as the congress chairman, Sen. Lyel Imoke tried unsuccessfully to reconcile the two factions.
Makinde group, it was learnt, gave two options for peace; either the congress goes on without the contentious local government areas or a group is allowed to produce the chairman and 12 other positions and the other secretary and 11 other positions. The party has 27 positions.
Sensing that the factions are not ready to sheath the sword, Imoke was said to have asked the two groups to go on with their parallel congresses and submit their reports later.
Meanwhile, the situation is almost the same in Ogun State. The plight of the crisis – ridden Ogun State chapter of the PDP worsened on Saturday with the emergence of a parallel executive from a Congress conducted by a faction of the party.
Members of the parallel executive are Sikirulai Ogundele (State Chairman), Chief Ibukun Ojosipe(Deputy Chairman), Alhaji Ismaila Odejimi( Vice Chairman 1) Arch. Kayode Adebayo( Vice Chairman 2), Hon. Wale Adeogun
(Vice Chairman 3) and Bode Bankole( Secretary)
Ogundele – led parallel executive which is loyal to Hon. Ladi Adebutu camp, were elected at a congress conducted at the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital despite a court order obtained by Senator Buruji Kashamu’s camp restraining them from conducting the said congress.
The Dayo Bayo party executive which is loyal to Kashamu, acting on the conviction that their tenure ends in 2020, had filed the suit, and maintained that any attempt to replace them should be treated as illegality and therefore null and void.
A magistrate court sitting in Abeokuta presided by Magistrate Idowu Olayinka had in a ruling, restrained PDP constituted Panel from holding “Any congress, gathering, public assembly or meeting likely to cause breach of peace in Ogun State or any part of Ogun.”
But Ogundele who spoke journalists at the conclusion of the the congress, said it was a “very successful one,” adding that his emergence as State chairman would no doubt, bring all aggrieved members back under the cover one umbrella.
“All those that are aggrieved will come back to the party and I see this Congress putting an end to problems of PDP in Ogun State. With my emergence I intend to run an open government, open party administration.
“We intend to spread hands of fellowships to members that are aggrieved, we intend to extend hand of goodwill to members of other parties and I don’t have any doubt in my mind that we will put an end to the government of penny wise, pound foolish of APC (All Progressives Congress).
“The entire people of Ogun State should expect a very vibrant, constructive party and we are looking up to having a 2019 election won by PDP. We will run all inclusive and a united PDP, we want to run a political administration that will encourage party members of other parties,” Ogundele said.
The Chairman of the Electoral Panel, Mr. Eddy Olafeso in his opening speech admitted that the party had gone through a lot of challenges in the last eight years, saying “Nobody wins alone, we are stronger when we are united.”
Olafeso urged the party members to ” lay to rest injury of the past”and work for the unity and progress of the party.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali with additional reports from insideoyo.com and thenationonlineng.net
