A faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Senator Biodun Olujimi in Ekiti State, has faulted a letter allegedly written by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) recognizing Hon Bisi Kolawole as the authentic Chairman of the party in the state.
The chairman of the faction, Hon. Kehinde Odebunmi, said the group doubted the authenticity of the letter on the strength that it was addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu and copied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party’s State congress which held on August 22, 2020, had produced two factional chairmen, with Kolawole emerging from Governor Ayodele Fayose’s faction while Odebunmi was elected from a parallel group loyal to Senator Olujimi.
Addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, Odebunmi, who spoke for the faction, insisted that the letter won’t stop the faction from existing.
The former House of Representatives member said the contents of the letter purportedly signed by the National Secretary, Senator Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri were full of confusion and ambiguities.
“Firstly, we doubt the authenticity of the letter purportedly written by the National Secretary, because it was solely written and signed by the National Secretary. By my own understanding, any letter by any party to any federal agency is always co-signed by the Chairman and Secretary.
“Again, in paragraph two of the letter, the party owned up that it hasn’t conducted the ward and state congresses in 22 wards of two local governments.
“If that was the case, why should they proceed with the state congress when there were outstanding? Are they saying the two councils are not part of Ekiti? ”They should know that you can’t build something on nothing.
“Let me also notice that the letter was addressed to IG of police and copied INEC. At what time did the IG become the superintending authority over INEC?
“We are of the opinion that a separate letter has to be written to INEC and should be co-signed by the National Chairman and Secretary.
“We knew their antics, they didn’t write to INEC directly; because it didn’t participate in the charade they called congress here in Ekiti.
“To us, we doubt the authenticity of that letter going by ambiguities contained therein”.
Odebunmi out rightly dissociated the group from “the reckless statement made by the former Governor, Fayose against the respected Governor Seyi Makinde.”
He reaffirmed the position of the group and that of its leader, Senator Olujimi of adopting Makinde as the PDP leader in the southwest.
“That having accepted Governor Seyi Makinde as the party leader in Southwest, he, therefore, has the unfettered political right to intervene and mediate in all matters regarding peaceful coexistence of the party members across the Southwest geopolitical zone.
“That we are not unaware of the former Governor, Fayose’s unholy alliance with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress in their connivance to weaken our party ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
“The entire leadership and members of PDP in Ekiti State seize this medium to reiterate our earlier position that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is the leader of PDP in Southwest, and we are solidly behind him. He is, therefore, free to visit Ekiti State like any other states in the zone at anytime he deems fit.
“We, therefore, urge the general public, especially the teeming members of the PDP in Ekiti state and across the Southwest States to please ignore the jamboree meetings called by Fayose as it is an intent to destabilize the Southwest political cohesion.
“That we wish to reassure all our party members and other stakeholders that with their support, we shall win the 2022 Governorship election in Ekiti state”.
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