Ekiti 2022: Olujimi group writes Arapaja over 2020 PDP congresses

Emmanuel AmudaJune 24, 2021

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Biodun Olujimi faction group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have written letter to the party’s South-West executives headed by Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, seeks urgent intervention in the unresolved dispute over the party’s 2020 congresses in the state.

The group named Repositioning Movement headed by the lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Biodun Olujimi, appealed the South West leaders to urgently intervene in order to avert replay of the loss suffered by All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State.

It will be recalled in 2019 that the courts nullified the victories of Zamfara APC over irregular primaries and declared candidates of other parties with second highest votes in the election validly elected in the general election.

The group said that the aftermath of the congresses, which it alleged were manipulated, had polarised the party into “Osoko Political Assembly led by our former governor, Ayo Fayose and the collegiately led Ekiti PDP Repositioning Movement.”

The group made the appeal in a petition dated June 23, 2021 addressed to Arapaja, titled “Need for immediate intervention in the unresolved dispute over the Ekiti State congresses of 2020”, and signed by Senators Biodun Olujimi; Duro Faseyi; and the former Deputy Governor, Dr Sikiru Lawal.

Other signatories are former Acting Governor, Tunji Odeyemi; Otunba Yinka Akerele; former PDP Southwest Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe; former PDP State Chairman, Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase and former National Assembly member, Kehinde Odebunmi.

The group members who wished Arapaja and members of his team success in the assignment “to deliver the Southwest states to the PDP in the forthcoming elections”, said it was necessary to address the issues in the party in Ekiti State preparatory to winning the 2022 governorship election and othe future elections.

According to them, “We hereby appeal for your prompt intervention to save us from calamity similar to that of Zamfara State APC should the National Working Committee fail to do the needful soonest. Ekiti State’s governorship election’s timetable has just been released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

Among issues which the group wants Arapaja to consider included the “manipulated ward congresses of March 7, 2020 which is still pending before the Supreme Court and the local government and state congresses which the monitoring authority, INEC, has disclaimed for not taking part in the said congresses.”

They said, “all efforts to make the leadership of the party treat the matter with truth and fairness have so far not yielded positive results.”