Osun PDP Congress: Factions On Collision Course

By Shina Abubakar

The ongoing measures to resolve the dispute ravaging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State of Osun might not be the ultimate solution, as the caretaker committee inaugurated to pilot the resolution may have integrity crisis among the stakeholders of the party in the state.

It would be recalled that the PDP had set up a caretaker committee in some states with Hon. Sarafadeen Isola from Ogun State heading the Osun team to pilot the party out of the crisis by organising a congress to usher in fresh executive for the party in the state ahead of the forthcoming governorship primary election.

It was gathered that prior to the constitution of the committee, the warring factions stands on each other’s throat insisting on the appointment of the committee members from their camps.

Although, since the arrival of the committee, the gladiators have to a large extent sheathe their swords hoping that their supporters in the party would influence their victory in the congress to be organised by the committee on a date yet to be schedule.

While the committee operates from the Ogo-Oluwa Secretariat of the party, the other secretariat at Biket area of the state capital is still operational as the faction is not totally letting go of its guard.

Meanwhile some members of the party belonging to Adagunodo-led faction have started suspecting that the Sarafadeen-led caretaker committee is in the state to position Faforiji, who is believed to enjoy the support of Senator Iyiola Omisore and by extension the Abuja caucus of the party.

This, a source said, has been propelling the other faction to be preparing for the worst.

According to Mr Alao Adeolu, a close associate of Soji Adagunodo, there are no factions in Osun PDP at present considering the fact that the National Secretariat has dissolve both side with a view to ensuring that peace reign in the party.

He added that those in the Adagunodo faction believed that the caretaker committee has the capacity to organise a free and fair election that would produce an acceptable executive committee for the PDP in the state.

“If the committee organise a free and fair election, we, in the Adagunodo faction would accept the outcome of such election but if the process is not fair we would resist any act of injustice. However, we are confident of victory in a free and fair election”.

Similarly, a source close to the camp loyal to Dr. Bayo Faforiji disclosed that the PDP knew those that are loyal to its course and would not leave the party at the mercy of those that would devour it opportunities.

The source further disclosed that everyone is free to claim to have the majority in the party but the congress to be organised would eventually decide the side that hold the majority of supporters in the party.

Findings revealed that members of the two factions in the party are still loyal to the parallel executive committees of the camps they belong to prior to their dissolution and it is the reason the two secretariats are still functional even as a caretaker committee is in place.