By Michael Adeyemo
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West is now enmeshed in crisis over who replaces the late National Vice Chairman of the party, Honourable Soji Adagunodo.
Adagunodo had passed away on Monday 8th May 2023 and was buried on Saturday 22nd July 2023.
The late National Vice Chairman South West of the party occupied the seat as representative of Osun State but never enjoyed the support of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s faction of the PDP in the state.
Shortly after Adagunodo’s demise, the Adeleke group started moves to have him replaced by a member of their faction, a development that was consummated last week when Hon. Kamoru Ajisafe was presented to replace him by the Adeleke faction of party.
Miffed by the development, some Board of Trustees and foundation members of the party in the state who have been sidelined by the administration of Ademola Adeleke in the state for over a year since the gubernatorial election on July 16, 2022, made a counter move by nominating two names of party members to the party out of which one is expected to be picked to replace the deceased.
The two names put forward are Engr Yinka Jimoh Adigun, a one-time Chairman of Ejigbo Local Government and former Zonal PRO of the party while Prince Adelani Ajanaku, an erstwhile Special Adviser on Economic Matters in the state, is the second nominee.
Already, the decision of this group to forward the names of Adigun and Ajanaku as possible replacement to fill the vacant position has sent jitters in the camp of Adeleke who are said to be confused on what next to do.
South West Executive members of the party who were led by Adagunodo before his death, are said to be empowered by the PDP party constitution to elect who occupies the seat in this kind of scenario.