The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, has petitioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, calling on the party’s National Working Committee to disband and reconstitute the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Council in Ekiti State.
Olujimi accused former Governor Ayodele Fayose of hijacking the council and injecting his cronies in all strategic positions with the sinister intention to sideline other members of the party from participating in mobilising for the PDP presidential candidate during the election.
The Senator told Secondus to compel Fayose to adhere strictly to the resolution reached by stakeholders on how the council should be composed at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Ado Ekiti on December 28, 2018 to forestall cracks and crisis in the party ahead of the much-awaited polls.
In a petition dated January 6, 2018 and signed by the PDP Senator, she said only immediate dissolution of the highly ‘lopsided’ campaign council can avert unnecessary cleavages in Ekiti PDP, warning that failure to accede to the request could dim the party’s chances in the state.
She particularly alluded to a publication in newspapers wherein changes were made to members of Atiku/Obi Campaign Council for Ekiti State without notifying the stakeholders, describing such as “demeaning and mischievous”.
According to her “the original composition had Prof Olusola Kolapo as chairman: Otunba Yinka Akerele as Director General: and Chief Sanya Atofarati as Spokesperson/Director of Media among others while the position of Secretary did not exist in the original composition by the National Directorate,” she said.
But the composition, which Olujimi is rejecting, has Prof Olusola as chairman: Chief Dipo Anisulowo as DG: Chief Gboyega Oguntuase as Secretary: Jackson Adebayo as spokesperson: and Lere Olayinka as Director, Media and Publicity”.
Olujimi warned that the PDP might lose the state to APC despite people’s resolve to vote against the ruling party in the presidential poll if urgent remedial action was not taken to rectify the perceived injustice.
The petition reads: “It has become imperative to swiftly alert the National Campaign Council of our great party, PDP, and the general public to kindly disregard the misleading publication as to the actual composition of the Campaign Council. The purported publication is not only untrue but also contravenes the prescribed provisions of our Party’s guidelines and directive.
“It should be understood that this is another orchestrated plan of former Governor Ayo Fayose to convert the party’s resources and fortunes to his personal enterprise as usual.
“He did it during the last Governorship election and our Party paid dearly for it in spite of my advice, warnings and outcry. Once beaten is twice shy.
“The publication reportedly cited the cronies and stooges of Mr Ayo Fayose as Chairman, Secretary, Director General, Spokesperson, Director of Media & Publicity among others.
“This is most unacceptable as Ekiti people and Nigerians cannot afford to lose this golden opportunity to change the APC-led maladministration both at the National and State levels for one person’s self-centeredness”.
Olujimi said that it is in the spirit of equity, justice, fairness and general acceptability in Ekiti PDP, that majority demanded that “Mr Fayose should be mandated to comply immediately with the earlier resolution of the party by adhering to the earlier membership and composition of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Council as previously agreed by the State Working Committee led by the party Chairman, Barr. Oguntuase; Senator Biodun Olujimi; Senator Duro Faseyi; Prof. Olubunmi Olusola and federal lawmakers there present.
“That if he (Mr Ayo Fayose) fails to comply with the above, We shall be left with no other option than to take appropriate actions that will reflect the wish of the people as agreed in the meeting of the Campaign Council at the PDP State Secretariat and chaired by Prof. Olusola Kolapo, the Campaign Council Chairman on 28 December, 2018.”
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