The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) factional chairman in Ekiti State, Honourable Kehinde Odebunmi has accused the National Working Committee (NWC) of colluding with former Governor Ayo Fayose to disallow internal democracy and freedom of choice of leaders.
Odebunmi vowed that everything legally and constitutionally possible would be done to resist Fayose from hijacking the party which he said belongs to all card-carrying members in all the 177 wards in the state.
Speaking on a programme, The Conversation, aired on an Ekiti-based radio station on Saturday monitored by our reporter, Odebunmi accused the NWC led by Prince Uche Secondus of taking sides with the faction led by Fayose which produced Bisi Kolawole as factional Chairman.
He slammed Fayose for his opposition to the adoption of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde as the Southwest PDP leader, saying former Ekiti governor enjoyed the same privilege during his tenure.
Odebunmi who described Fayose’s attack on Makinde as unwarranted and mischievous said the Oyo governor was chosen to occupy the position being the most senior serving political office holder in the zone.
Odebunmi who chairs the exco loyal to Senator Biodun Olujimi said the NWC alleged partiality is fuelling the latest factional crisis rocking Ekiti PDP by colluding with Fayose to impose excos at ward, local government and state levels on party members.
He contended that the NWC is a biased umpire in all the congresses held in the state with its alleged collusion with Fayose to impose excos on party members without allowing free and fair election to produce new leadership.
Odebunmi said, “Have you seen a situation where a referee in a football match celebrates at the end of the day with one of the teams. That is a biased referee.”
Condemning Fayose’s face-off with Makinde, Odebunmi said: “Fayose is in another fight with Makinde, why? When he was in power, Fayose enjoyed the same privilege and nobody challenged him.
“At a time, he was the only PDP governor in the Southwest and he was performing the function in the six states but now he wants to be breathing down on the neck of Makinde. That will not work.”
He explained that Makinde had suggested that loyalists of Fayose and Olujimi should agree and share positions to avoid a winner-takes-all situation that would breed acrimony.
Odebunmi insisted that he remains the authentic state chairman of Ekiti PDP claiming that the congress which produced him was held in all the 177 wards while the one conducted by the faction loyal to Fayose was held in only 155 wards.
Besides, Odebunmi claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) observed the congress which led to his emergence as the party chair, unlike the one that produced Bisi Kolawole for the Fayose faction.
He also faulted a letter purportedly written by the PDP National Secretary, Umaru Tsauri, which recognised the exco led by Kolawole as the authentic exco.
Such letters, Odebunmi stated, ought to have been signed bY By both National Secretary and NationalOrganising Secretary.
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