There are indications that loyalists of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and members of the party's Caretaker Committee could clash over the state congresses scheduled to elect substantive PDP office-bearers across the state.
This is because the PDP caretaker committee has said that loyalists of former governor and governor-appointed leader Biodun Oyebanji would be disqualified from participating in the upcoming congresses in the state.
The Chairman of the caretaker committee, Chief Dare Adeleke, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune, explained that the party stakeholders agreed to participate in the congresses without any distractions.
Adeleke noted that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) approved January 18, 2025 for the district congress, February 1 for the local government and the state congress scheduled for February 18.
He urged the aspirants, who had collected forms for various posts at the district, local government and state levels, to submit their completed forms today (Monday) or earlier, before the congresses.
When asked about the status of Fayose loyalists and supporters, Adeleke explained that the committee is not working with any faction or group but with members of the party who are willing to come together and work for the success of the Ekiti PDP.
According to him, “anyone who collects forms will be able to participate, this is a matter of the PDP and not of factions or groups. Whoever has obtained the form must legally participate in the congresses. I don't know about the Fayose group.
“But let me tell you that these people you are talking about have not been participating in what we are doing in the party because the culprits are afraid.
“The fact is that some of them (Fayose loyalists) have secured appointments from the current APC government under Biodun Oyebanji in the state. And anyone who got appointments from the Oyebanji All Progressives Congress (APC) government and still wants to participate in the Congresses will automatically be disqualified, that is the truth. Even if the person picks up the form during the assessment, we will help them out.”
Regarding the possibility of adopting consensus and zoning for congresses, he added: “During the stakeholder meeting we had recently, practically all districts reached consensus, we also hope that the situation will be the same for local governments and state congresses. . That's what we are planning to do.
“There will be no zoning for the statehouse because there was a legal dispute about it that the court overturned and we will not go back to that. The president of the state can emerge from any of the zones or districts of the state.”
However, Omolade Bolarinwa, a member of the Fayose group, insisted that members loyal to the former governor would contest and win the upcoming congresses.
He said: “Members of the interim committee should not run the congresses; Their task is to coordinate the members before the congresses are held. Congress is the business of the national body, not the interim state committee.
“Fayose has never lost any Congress since he joined the PDP; “He is the master of the game and this one will be no different.”
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