There are indications that the loyalists of former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose and members of the Caretaker Committee of the party may clash over the planned state congresses to elect substantive officers of the PDP across the state.
This is because the PDP caretaker committee has said the loyalists of former governor and leader appointed by Governor Biodun Oyebanji would be disqualified from participating in the forthcoming congresses in the state.
The caretaker committee chairman, Chief Dare Adeleke, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, explained that the stakeholders in the party have agreed to participate in the congresses without any form of distractions.
Adeleke noted that the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP approved January 18, 2025 for ward congress, February 1 for the local government and the state congress scheduled for February 18.
He urged aspirants, who had collected forms for various offices from the ward, local government and the state levels to submit them to the complete on or before today (Monday) ahead of the congresses.
When asked about the status of the loyalists and supporters of Fayose, Adeleke explained that the committee is not working with any factions or groups but members of the party who are willing to unite and work for the success of the Ekiti PDP.
According to him, “Anybody that collected forms will be allowed to participate, this is a PDP affairs and not factions or groups. Whoever that might have gotten the form, legally must participate in the congresses. I don’t know about the Fayose group.
“But, let me say these people you are talking about have not been participating in what we are doing in the party because the guilty are afraid.
“The fact is , some of them (Fayose loyalists) have gotten appointments from the present APC government under Biodun Oyebanji in the state. And anyone who has gotten appointments from the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of Oyebanji and still wants to participate in the Congresses will be automatically disqualified, that is the truth. Even if the person collects form during screening, we will ease the person out.”
On the possibility of adopting consensus and zoning for the congresses, he added: “During the stakeholders meeting we had recently, virtually all the wards have reached for a consensus, also we hope that the situation will be the same for local government and state congresses. That is what we are planning to do.
“There won’t be zoning for the state congress because there was a legal tussle on it which the court overruled, and we won’t go back to that again. The state chairman can emerge from any of the zones or districts in the state.”
However, a member of the Fayose group, Omolade Bolarinwa insisted that members loyal to the former governor would participate and win the forthcoming congresses.
He said: “The caretaker committee members are not to conduct the congresses; their assignment is to coordinate members before the congresses come up. The congress is the affairs of the national body, not the state caretaker committee.
“Fayose has never lost any Congress since he joined PDP; he is the master of the game and this one won’t be different.”
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