PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congresses held nationwide yesterday plunged the Ogun State chapter of the party deeper into confusion as three factions emerged from the exercise. The factions included those loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and the lawmaker representing Remo Federal Constituency, Oladipupo Adebutu.
They conducted separate congresses across the 236 wards of the state, even as the congresses committee dispatched from the PDP national headquarters in Abuja grappled with the backlash of the exercise. Sunday Telegraph investigations, however, showed that the ward congresses were generally peaceful across the state despite the factionalisation.
At some of the places visited by our correspondent, including Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ikenne, Ifo and Ijebu-Ode, PDP members trooped out in large numbers to participate in the congresses. Security operatives and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were on the ground to monitor the exercise. A party stalwart, Oluwole Bolarinwa, told our correspondent at Ward 7 Ijagba, Sagamu Local Government Area that the exercise was peaceful.
”It’s fantastic, you can see the real people of PDP trooping out en masse to support the party. They are trooping out to make sure the party is secured for a better future. We want this party to grow,” he said. But speaking with Sunday Telegraph, the party’s former Organising Secretary, Folasade Filani, said the congresses held by her group believed to be loyal to Adebutu was the valid exercise. Filani said, “We have conducted a valid congress, the result will be put together and is being collated now and will be submitted to the national secretariat.
“Despite the fact that the National Secretary has refused to give us forms we have paid for, we had officials from INEC, police, returning officers and except the party is willing to go against the court orders, they have no other choice than to accept our result.”
A former member of Ogun State House of Assembly, Johnson Olu-Fatoki, who is loyal to the Bankole’s faction, told our correspondent that his group held the exercise at the designated venue by the PDP national leadership.
He said, “We held it at the designated venues where the PDP used to hold its congresses. It was under the supervision of delegates that came from Abuja. “Security agents were on the ground and it was generally peaceful. The difference is that we involved other people from other groups into our exco. It is not a matter of winners-take-all.”