Crisis Edges Osun PDP Out Of National Convention

By Kehinde Ayantunji

The Internal crisis rocking Osun Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) will deny its participation and voting right in the PDP National Convention holding on Saturday in Abuja as a result of “irreconcilable difference”, over the local and state leadership of the party.

The indication emerged during the inauguration of the party convention main and sub-committee by the party National Caretaker Chairman Senator Ahmed Makarfi, as the state delegates were excluded from the convention delegate lists.

Osun local government and state congress as at the time of this report remained inconclusive and was excluded from congress report approved by the National Executive Council of the party last week.
Makarfi, had last week, sought the approval of the party leadership of the report of congresses as produced in nine states which includes; Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun.

While the party affirmed the conclusion of the ward, local government and state congresses in all the states, Makarfi said in the memo that only ward congress had been done in Osun.
Makarfi said, it has become practically impossible to make progress in conducting local and state congresses.

The implication is that the Osun branch would not be able to participate in the convention, except the statutory delegates recognized by the party’s constitution.

Since August that the party NEC has appointed Sharafadeen Ishola as the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the party in the state, all efforts to conduct an acceptable congress at the local and state level had been unsuccessful.

The statutory delegates that may participate in the convention includes Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, a Member of the Board of Trustee of the party; Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Trustee Member; Erelu Olusola Obada, former Minister; Mr Jelili Adesiyan, former Minister; Professor Wale Ladipo former National Secretary; Senator Ademola Adeleke representing Osun West; the two serving Federal House of Representative Members, Hon Albert Adeogun and Hon Wole Oke, and the two current serving House of Assembly Members.

The party’s NEC had at its meeting on August 12 dissolved all party structures in Osun state and ordered fresh congresses for the purpose of electing party executive at all levels.

The contest between Hon Soji Adagunodo and Dr Bayo Faforijin for the chairmanship of the party has split the party and both camps have rejected several consensus proposals from the caretaker committee headed by Sharafadeen Ishola.

Meanwhile, 19 PDP leaders from the state were inaugurated on Monday to serve in the various party national convention committees that would hold Saturday.

Prominent among the leaders are the two former Deputy Governor, Mrs Erelu Olusola Obada, Member Security Committee; Senator Iyiola Omisore, member Venue and Protocol Committee and Chief Francis Fadahunsi, Member Security Committee.