Ward Congress Deepens Internal Crisis in Osun PDP

By Lukman Ayelabola

The factional crisis rocking Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might be far from over as the ward congress of the party held on Tuesday May 10, was boycotted by a faction of the party.

CityMirrorNews learnt that the camp of the PDP state chairmanship candidate, Dr Bayo Faforijin, who is believed to be the candidate of former Senator Iyiola Omisore, was not given nomination form to participate in the congress.

But information has it that Faforijin’s camp had bypassed the process of obtaining the nomination form.

A source at the PDP state secretariat disclosed to CityMirrorNews that the contestants from the Faforijin’s camp did not want to go through PDP state executive led by the Chairman, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa for the collection of the nomination form.

Instead of going through the state executive, the Faforijin’s camp wanted to obtain the form through the National Secretariat of the party, which was not successful, it was learnt.

The Faforijin’s camp had resorted to such move because of the allegation that the state chairman of the party, Olaoluwa was supporting Hon. Soji Adagunodo’s against Omisore.

Adagunodo is contesting for the PDP state chairman.

The Director General of the Faforijin Campaign Organisation, Hon. Bade Falade in an interview with CityMirrorNews on Tuesday described the congress as undemocratic, unfair and condemnable.

According to Falade, the ward congress was manipulated to favour Adagunodo’s camp, as contestants from Faforijin’s camp were not given nomination form for the exercise.

He disclosed that the conduct of the congress was against an injunction issued by a court in Osogbo to stop the congress.

However, a former speaker of the Osun state House of Assembly, Hon. Adejare Bello who is from Adagunodo’s camp, said the congress was fair and credible.

Bello dismissed the report that there was a court injunction against the conduct of the congress.

The 10-man Congress Committee from the PDP national secretariat was led by a retired customary court judge, Emmanuel Dodo Audu.

An Ex-officio of the PDP Alhaji Remi Arogundade in an interview with CityMirrorNews said: “The Ward Congress was peaceful and highly successful. I commend party faithful for their perseverance for the reasons that the congress was postponed three times due to the shenanigans of some elements within the party structure, good that the party is moving forward, we are about commencing our Local congress today throughout the state.

“‎Up till this morning, I honestly don’t understand what the Dr Bayo Faforiji group wanted; they have been given a long rope to normalise their quest within the ambit of party rules and regulations but they seemed not be in tandem with the rules as at this morning.

“The DG of the group Hon Bade Falade is in the best position to shed more light on their activities so far within Osun PDP.”