As members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state of Osun recently began to nurture the dream of new dawn as regards the crisis rocking the party since 2015, the issue has taken a new twist as the hope of resolving the long overdue crisis is gradually dashing away, as the caretaker committee saddled with the responsibility of restoring peace seems to be a mirage.
Investigations revealed that the Sarafadeen Ishola-led caretaker committee has lost it integrity among the teeming PDP members in the state who believed in the strength of their supporters to control the party structure ahead of the forthcoming elections in the state.
Checks revealed that after the primaries conducted in some wards across the state as witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Senator Iyiola Omisore faction was dissatisfied with the outcome and had decided to disrupt the remaining wards, as well as local government congresses.
It was gathered that the chairman of the caretaker committee called a stakeholders meeting wherein their cooperation was sought towards reaching a consensus with regards to some of the wards where Omisore seek to be given concession but the meeting did not achieve its intended aim and objectives.
After several appeals to the Adagunodo-led faction to concede some position to the Omisore-led faction failed, the caretaker committee was said to have used his power to impose directives for the factions to harmonise their different positions and reach a truce among themselves.
A source close to the Omisore camp informed OSUN DEFENDER that both camps have reached a conclusion on the matter and the outcome is already with the caretaker committee but added that the reason for not making it public as it is ought to be, was strange.
However, the medium gathered that the Adagunodo faction is not in tune with the arrangement and is always ready to respect the dictate of democracy by going to the poll and elect the executive members for the party at all levels.
Another insider informed the medium that the caretaker committee is biased, as it is favouring the Omisore faction and is carrying out the bidding of the faction which is responsible for the deadlock in the congresses.
The source added that the committee is aware that the results of the successful wards congresses with the INEC is not in favour of the faction the committee is supporting, hence, it collaborates with the faction to stall the process.
A former Senatorial candidate of the party, Oluomo Oludaisi Aina, in a statement on his social media page, blamed the caretaker committee for the problem in the party as it is not playing the umpire role expected of it rather, it had decided to take side and disrupt the peace process initiated by the national leadership of the party.
He berated the decision of the committee to hold the majority of the party members to ransom because things never worked out in favour of an individual within the party and this intended to return the concept of impunity to the party.
He lamented the resolve of Mr Sarafadeen Ishola and some forces outside the state who are hell-bent in supporting the handing over of the party structure to Omisore by forcing Dr. Bayo Faforiji as the party chairman even when he refused to participate in the congresses.
“With the coming of Makarfi, a man highly regarded as unbiased and determined to reposition the party, Osun PDP members became confident that the voice of the majority would triumph and that their party would, at least, be allowed to breath an air of peace.
They are wrong! Makarfi leadership, at the initial stage, demonstrated the resolve to stand by the truth, promising not to tamper with the congress that produced Adagunodo, since it was adjudged valid by INEC, with The Nigerian police, SSS, and the party leadership. It, however, changed the goal post in the middle of the game after pressure from Governor Ayo Fayose, who was playing Omisore’s script and who is erroneously considered as the only one in Osun PDP”, the release reads.
