By Femi Adesola
As a fallout of the congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held across the wards, LGAs and state, last week, there are signs that the losing camp of the former Deputy Governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is set to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The Oshogbo township stadium on Sunday, welcomed delegates and party bigwigs from all the Local government in a bid to elect the Osun state chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s working committee, that will handle the affairs of the state chapter of the party and to prepare for next Governorship and 2019 general elections.
An election that was conducted by the PDP national working committee, observed by independent National Election Commission and supervised by the security agencies to forestall break down of law and order. Honourable Olasoji Adagunodo won with about 3000 votes unopposed, a development that faction loyal to Senator Omisore did not find favourable.
The crisis in PDP has been lingering since the debacle of Senator Alimodu Sherif and Senator Markafi’s leadership tussles. Dr Bayo Faforijin’s camp claimed the May 2016 congress held in Oshogbo, supervised by Alimodu Sheriff was illegal after the Supreme court has declared Senator Ahmed Markafi the substantive chairman of the party. Hence the election must be rescheduled till after there is a National convention, which later produced Prince Uche Secondus.
Dr Bayo Faforijin’s camp believes the emergence of Prince Uche Secondus as the national Chairman will make their camp to be more powerful and be in control, because of Senator Omisore’s closeness to some of the powerful bloc in the party. Unfortunately for them, Prince Secondus opened the battle on a level plain ground. He bowed to the pressure of majority for proper election to proceed according to the party’s constitution, to jettison the proposal of harmonization proposed by Bayo Faforijin’s camp.
Sources close to Faforijin’s camp claimed the ward congress is completed already, that the position has already been harmonized and shared according to the strength of each camp in each local government, the source further disclosed they should proceed to the local government congress.
In a contrary view, sources from Soji Adagunodo believed there are still about 114 vacant ward executives yet to be filled, that harmonization is alien to the party’s constitution, that election is the way forward.
In another bid by the Bayo Faforijin’s camp to further buy time and renegotiate on his harmonization proposal, they went to Osun State High Court in Ejigbo and were able to obtain an injunction barring the National Working Committee from holding the Congress on an earlier agreed date. This order was later vacated and the Judge in his wisdom dismissed the case filed by the Faforijin’s camp and advised them to use the party internal mechanism to solve their problem.
Hence the ward election proceeds as scheduled on Friday, while the local government elections were held on Saturday and the state working committee elected on Sunday. Our sources in the PDP revealed the arrangement is not favourable to the Faforijin’s camp, consequently, they boycotted the election, the source said as you can see his loyal boys in the party like Rev Bunmi Jenyo, Ojo Williams, Bayo Faforijin and Senator Omisore himself were not on ground.
Although there are unconfirmed rumors that Otunba Iyiola Omisore’s absence at the stadium is because he is busy holding meetings with the leadership of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his Ibadan home, in a bid to seek refuge in the party to be their standard bearer in the next September 22nd Osun governorship election, the source added the PDP flag at the Ogooluwa Secretariat has been removed.
Another closely related development. osun.life exclusively received a WhatsApp message purportedly from Dr Bayo Faforijin tagged “A new beginning. Good morning ladies and gentlemen in the house. Finally, the long and tortuous journey in the dark tunnel of the discarded PDP days is over! What a sweet relief. Now is the time for us to hit the ground running. As soon as our next destination is determined and established, everyone must take up the challenge of spreading the gospel of “Omisore for Governor” throughout the nooks and crannies of Osun state. This is the time to harvest the enormous goodwill of our candidate and impress it on Osun state indigenes that our freedom from the misrule and maladministration of the APC is at hand. Our new party must eclipse all others in the shortest of time and stamp its authority on all segments of our society. This is the beginning of a new era, and the end of hopelessness “ he concludes
Meanwhile, Akintunde Bello Sheriff who is also a member of PDP, loyal to Omisore faction, when contacted about his views on the issue. He said peace is the major concerns among the party members, He further expressed his disappointment at rumour going around, about Senator Omisore leaving the party, but he claimed response by one of the Lieutenants of Senator Omisore proved otherwise that the rumour is not true.
He further stressed the PDP is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, that no doubt there is crisis in the party but he believe the crisis can still be resolved. He further advocated for a formidable party structure in place that can be galvanized to win elections.
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