Chairmanship: PDP rejects Fayose’s consensus arrangement

Emmanuel AmudaFebruary 23, 2020

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Ahead of the forthcoming congress of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), crisis hits Ekiti State chapter of the party as the ongoing state excos of the party rejected plan by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and some elders in the party to pick a consensus candidate.

The party’s congress in the state already slated for April 2, 2020.

According to the statement released by Jackson Adebayo, the outgoing Publicity Secretary of the PDP urged party members to discountenance with the consensus arrangement allegedly by the camp loyal to the former governor Ayo Fayose for the chairmanship position.

Three people are currently jostling for the chairmanship position of the party including former lawmaker and immediate past Commissioner for Environment, Bisi Kolawole, a former state secretary of the party, Tope Aluko and a former member of House of Representatives, Hon Kehinde Odebunmi.

Newsflash247 gathered that, Bisi Kolawole is said to have been the backing of Fayose while Odebunmi belongs to the Senator Biodun Olujimi’s camp.

It was gathered that Fayose’s camp was making an arrangement to scheme in favour of anointed chairmanship candidate, Bisi Kolawole to emerge a consensus candidate to take over the party’s structure ahead of the 2022 governorship election in the state.

PDP has for some time been polarised over leadership issue between Fayose and Olujimi.

The Oguntuase-led SWC, in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, said the plan was ill-motivated and ill-conceived, describing it as unacceptable.

Fayose and his loyalists were said to have met on February 21, 2020 at the residence of one of the party’s leaders, Senator Clement Awoyelu in Ado-Ekiti, where the arrangement of a consensus chairmanship candidate was conceived.

However, the party dissociated itself from the outcome of the consensus arrangements, reiterating its commitment to free, fair and transparent congress where all officers of the party would be elected in consonance with the party’s constitution.

The opposition PDP cautioned leaders from engaging in meetings that cause confusion disharmony among its members, saying any member supporting consensus candidates doesn’t want the party to survive its current travail caused by alleged impunity of the ex-governor.

‘”It is imperative to correct the erroneous impression that the meeting was called on behalf of the Oguntuase-led SWC. The party leadership was unaware of any meeting where consensus plan was muted in respect to the forthcoming congress.

“The idea remains the personal idea of its convener Ayodele Fayose and not the position of the party. PDP is committed to free, fair and credible congress that would not in any way negate the principle of internal democracy and party’s constitution.

“We must categorically that consensus is not an option for the party,” it said.

The party cautioned party members to desist from joining Fayose to engage in activities capable of sinking the party and make it unable to win future elections.

It, however, urged candidates seeking elective positions in the party to jettison consensus plan and concentrate on mobilising delegates for support.