Fayose, Olujimi factions clash over ‘suspension’ of member from PDP
The Fayose faction claimed that it had suspended Anifowose from the party for alleged anti-party activities including accepting an appointment from Dr Kayode Fayemi-led All Progressives Congress administration, a party which the PDP had always said “symbolised failure”.
The two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State led by former Governor Ayodele Fayose and Senator Biodun Olujimi on Monday engaged in verbal war over the alleged suspension of a party member, Mr Badejo Anifowose.
The Fayose faction claimed that it had suspended Anifowose from the party for alleged anti-party activities including accepting an appointment from Dr Kayode Fayemi-led All Progressives Congress administration, a party which the PDP had always said “symbolised failure”.
But the Olujimi faction said that the Fayose’s group had no authority to neither suspend any member nor go into Anifowose’s privacy, saying the matter of the party authority was pending in court.
In his reaction to the alleged suspension, Anifowose said, “I am not accountable to their faction. The party has two factions in Ekiti and the case is still court. So they are not in a position to suspend me, they have no right. They don’t know me as a member of the party because I don’t belong to their faction.”
The Fayose faction, in a statement by the Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, titled, ‘Ekiti PDP suspends Olujimi’s ally for accepting Fayemi’s appointment’, stated that the State Working Committee, had at an emergency meeting presided over by the Chairman, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, on Monday, approved the suspension following recommendations from Anifowose’s ward and local government executives of the PDP.
“You see, the man belongs to a group that has been working with the APC government to destabilize our party. We have refrained from taking hardliners’ step, because we believe he should be given a fair hearing,” Adeyanju stated.
But the Publicity Secretary for the Olujimi faction, Sanya Adesua, said, “Anifowose is free to take up an appointment to serve his state. In what capacity is the Bisi Kolawole group acting? Bisi kolawole has no right to suspend anybody.”
Adesua, who said the Fayose faction could not address any issue of anti-party or morality as “he that comes to equity must come with clean hands”, saying, “Fayose is a typical example of lawless leadership. Has he (Fayose) not been campaigning for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu? He has been defending Tinubu for weeks now. So, what are they talking about?”