By Bright Gbotemi, Adesoji Omosebi

It is no longer news that there is an age long internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State pre-2018 Govermorship elections.

There are two major camps, the Adelekes and the Soji Adagunodo factions.

The trending events reared its ugly head at the party’s primary before the 2018 Govermorship elections where it was alleged that the primary was rigged to favour Senator Ademola Adeleke candidature.

The other camp cried foul without any of the agreements reached at the National Headqarters coming to fulfillment. It was alleged that agreement was reached with Dr Akin Ogunbiyi in order to buy time for the emergence of Adeleke as the flag bearer of the party.

Unfortunately, Adeleke lost the election to the incumbent Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola after protracted legal battles up to the Supreme Court.

The battle for superiority within the leadership of the party involving Soji Adagunodo on one side and Sunday Bisi on the other side.

The appointment of Soji Adagunodo to the position of Deputy National Chairman of Southwest PDP did not assuage the crisis as cases are pending in court to determine who controls the soul of the party in the state.

Recently, Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife, Osun State declared that,
“OSUN State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife, Osun State on Wednesday upheld all the Ward Congresses conducted under the leadership of Olasoji Adagunodo-led Executive of the Osun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
The Court upholds Wale Ojo’s emergence as Osun PDP Acting Chairman.

The Sunday Bisi-led Osun PDP believed to be of Adeleke’s faction had asked the court to set aside a November 22, 2021, judgment recognising Ojo as Osun PDP Chairman.”

In reaction to the Court judgement, the factional Secretary of the Party, Prince Bola Ajao released a Press Statement saying, the party members should disregard the High Court judgement reaffirming Wale Ojo as the Acting Chairman of the party in the State.

The statement reads,
“The attention of the the Osun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to a judgement of an Ile-Ife High Court on the leadership of the party in the state.

The PDP in Osun State wishes to inform our teeming party members that the purported judgement of the Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife has no bearing on the Ward Adhoc delegates Congress holding today and tomorrow across the 332 wards in the state.

The purported judgement we must emphasize, has nothing to do with the ongoing Ward Adhoc Congress as such exercise remains an exclusive preserve of the National Office of our great party.

In any case, the Legal Team of our party adequately took notice of all that transpired in the Ile-Ife High Court in the course of the litigation but as a law abiding political party, the Legal Team of the party has expeditiously carried out our instructions to appeal the judgement immediately.

Therefore, we must note for the sake of emphasis that Congresses as ad-hoc delegates are not conducted by State chapters of the Party.

The processes for the Congress have since been kick-started by the appropriate authorities of our party and all stakeholders are being carried along for a successful exercise.

We are not oblivious of the fact that some elements in the party in the state are adamant in playing the destabilizing cards of APC in our party despite passionate appeal of the National Working Committee led by the National Chairman, Dr Iyochia Ayu.

We wish to enjoin all our party members to remain calm and go ahead with modalities for the Adhoc Delegate Congress as the leadership of our party remains resolute in our determination to rescue Osun State from the mis-rule of APC and their shameless collaborators within our ranks.”

The climax of the crisis occured on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 when three people were confirmed dead while properties are destroyed by political thugs loyal to either of the two camps in the party.

Police Spokesperson in the state, Yemisi Opalola told Channels Television on Thursday that two persons were killed.

According to the Police, one of the victims, Toib Mutallib, was killed by suspected political thugs that stormed his Ward in Agberire, a community in the Iwo Local Government Area of the state.

Another victim who is aged 28 and resident in Agberire and simply identified as Sheriff was also injured in the attack. He died after he was rushed to the hospital.

Two other persons were also reportedly injured during the Congress in Oba Oke, in Olorunda Local Government, and Ipetumodu, in Ife North Local Government.
Another death was also reported in Koso Area of Ipetumodu, when one Olamide Aremu, was shot in the leg and rushed to a hospital, where he later died.

A vehicle said to belong to the suspect was reportedly razed down by a mob.

A reliable source who spoke to us on condition of anonymity alleged that,
“That the delegates elections were not allowed to hold in many places by thugs hired by Senator Adeleke”s camp.
Supporters were harassed and prevented from voting.

Fake results were written for many Local Government Areas where elections were not allowed to hold due to thuggery.
It is clear that there is desperation by Senator Adeleke”s camp said a source.

He urged that specific steps must be taken by PDP at the National Level to prevent the Primary from being flagrantly rigged.
Two factions of the party issued Press Statement on Delegate Congress crisis.

WE HELD PARALLEL CONGRESS – PDP Factions

A member of the Wale Ojo faction of the party, Funmiso Babarinde accused the Sunday Bisi-led faction of attack on the party members.
He said they had to hold their own Congress separately to avoid more casualties on their members.

Babarinde said,
“We had to go for a parallel Congress to avoid more casualties. The Sunday Bisi faction has hired several thugs and they’re too deadly. The person killed in Ipetumodu was with us earlier in the day but he was later shot dead by thugs.”

NO PARALLEL CONGRESS ANYWHERE – PDP FACTION

However, Director Media and Publicity of another faction of the party, Oladele Bamiji, said there was no parallel Congress in any part of the State, adding that both sides participated in just one Congress.

Bamiji said:
“We started the process together, the Congress Committee led by Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State met all the aspirants with party stakeholders and it was agreed that each aspirant should have observer/monitors in each of the Ward across the State.
“We left the collation centre at WOCDIF for the respected wards. Those that are shouting that the Congress was disrupted were only saying so after their expectation was not met.”

Bamiji said the death of Mutallib has nothing to do with PDP Congress, adding that he was killed by some suspected cultists in the early hours of the day.
“Toheeb’s mother had nothing to do with our Congress.

In fact, we gathered that his mother is a staunch APC member who participated in the last Saturday primaries of the party. He was killed by some suspected cultists earlier before our party Congress commenced.”
Recall few days ago that Members of the party in Odo-Otin Local Government of Osun State, on Sunday, protested the harassment of ex-governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola by a faction of the party.

Oyinlola was harassed at Laim Hotel when he visited the Committee sent by the National Secretariat of the PDP to resolve the lingering crisis within the party.
The attack was allegedly carried out by members suspected to be loyal to one of the governorship aspirants, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

According to our findings the Delegate Congress was marred with violence hence elections did not hold in those centres.

It was alleged the elections were forged to favour a candidate.
As at the time of filing this report, no official statement from the National Headqarters of the party on the result of the Delegate Conference. CONTINUE READING…

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