Ogun PDP elects new officials, ends crisis

The chairman of the Congress Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Deji Ogunsakin, has said the election of new officials, led by Sikirullahi Ogundele, put an end to the internal wrangling in the state chapter of the party.

Ogunsakin, who was the deputy governorship candidate of the party in Ekiti State during the 2018 gubernatorial election, told newsmen in Abeokuta that the exercise was conducted following a directive from the National Working Committee.

More than 2,000 delegates across the state converged on Abeokuta and elected party officials into about 39 positions, an action that brought an end to the Bayo Dayo-led executive.

The congress came more than two months after a faction of the party loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu had elected the Samson Bamgbose-led executive members.

The development led to fresh legal battle between the Ladi Adebutu and Kashamu factions of the party in Ogun State.

But the chairman of the committee declared that the election of the new officials loyal to Adebutu stood, saying there was no court injunction against the congress.

According to Ogunsakin, “The PDP is now united in the state and ready to win the 2023 elections. As I am talking to you, there’s no injunction stopping this process. Nobody has gone to court to stop this congress.

The issues within the party are normal. The party is still 100 per cent together; there’s no division among us.

Our leaders have the power to resolve any crisis; and at the right time they will come together for reconciliation.’’

Dayo also described the exercise as peaceful, saying the development has put an end to the crisis rocking the party.

“It is only the congresses conducted by the Bayo Dayo-led executive that are legal. I am exercising the powers given to me by the court judgement of 2016. That’s the judgement that empowers me and my executive to be in office up to the time of this congress and to hand over the result of this congress to the NWC in Abuja,’’ Dayo said.

Responding, the new chairman, who was the sole candidate at the congress, promised to run an all-inclusive administration and bring all aggrieved members together towards building a virile and united PDP ahead of the 2023 elections.