The hassle between Ayedele Fayose, the former Governor of Ekiti State, and Senator Biodun Olujimi over who controls the structure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State got complicated following the emergence of party executives from parallel congresses.
From Fayose’s faction, Bisi Kolawole, a former commissioner for Environment, emerged Chairman of the Ekiti PDP, while Kehinde Odebunmi, a former member of the House of Representatives, was elected as Chairman of the party from Senator Olujimi’s camp. Both congresses were held on the same day.
Fayose’s claim of the leadership of the party seems to get recognition and political points with Segun Oni, a former governor, who appeared at the congress organised by Mr. Fayose’s camp. Mr. Oni left the PDP to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), but defected from the party and returned to the PDP over alleged ill-treatment of his supporters by the APC.
Mr. Fayose called for discipline and truth as the foundation of the party and warned that elected party officials who “misbehave” would be removed. “We have to be disciplined…whoever wants to go is free to do so,” the Nation reported the former governor as saying.”
“Let me tell our members that loyalty pays over time. Let us continue to be loyal… There is no crack in Ekiti PDP. I would have been surprised if Engineer Segun Oni has not been here today.
“Those with party positions, please, respect your leaders, because it will not be business as usual. I am not looking for Senate seat or anything, but I am standing for the PDP in order not to destroy it,” Mr Fayose said.
“All that defected to APC in 2018, we regret their actions. But we are waiting for all of them. APC is losing their members because people don’t like them. We are even ready to work with the aggrieved in the PDP,” He said
In Senator Olujimi’s camp, Mr Odebunmi claimed to be the authentic leader of the PDP in Ekiti state. He said the party is owned by the majority, not Mr Fayose and alleged that officials of the Independent Electoral Commission were not present at the former governor’s faction’s congress.
“Fayose is free to grand stand, but the final arbiter is the court of law and it will adjudicate on this crisis and tell us which faction is authentic,” Odebunmi said.
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