BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Stakeholders in the Osun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party have warned that the emergence of two candidates for the party ahead of the July 16, governorship election may be a path to electoral loss if nothing was done quickly in the next one month to reconcile aggrieved leaders and members.
They argued that the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, may have an easy ride to second term, notwithstanding the crisis rocking his own party, should the new twist in PDP endures till campaign period.
Sequel to the failure of reconciliatory efforts made by the party’s national leadership among aggrieved governorship hopefuls and chieftains in the state, it wasn’t strange to residents of the state and keen political watchers when the major opposition party had parallel primaries last week Tuesday. Senator Ademola Adeleke and Prince Dotun Babayemi emerged in the peaceful and well attended primaries.
The others, who aspired for the party’s ticket but later stepped down for Babayemi included Dele Adeleke, Sanya Omirin, Akin Ogunbiyi, and Fatai Akinbade.
Recall that Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the PDP in the 2018 gubernatorial poll had a slight lead, having polled 254,699 votes while Oyetola polled 254,345 votes in the initial election held on Saturday, September 22. However, in the rerun, Adeleke polled 325 votes to Oyetola’s 1160. Consequently, according to INEC, Oyetola polled a total of 255,505 votes overall to defeat Adeleke, who recorded a cumulative 255,023 votes in the controversial poll.
Adeleke was able to record such a feat then partly because majority of party leaders and chieftains supported him. Now, concerned party stalwarts have said that the sharp division that culminated in the emergence of two candidates may throw banana peels on PDP’s way to power on July 16. They said Oyetola, the 2022 governorship candidate of the party may not have a tough time coasting to victory again if the PDP did not put its house in order by resolving its crisis and presenting one candidate.
Speaking in Osogbo, a member of the House of Representatives and strong backer of Adeleke, Wole Oke, expressed worry that elders and leaders of the party, who were supposed to unite it for victory, were the ones working against its expected victory. He said the PDP was underestimating the candidate of APC and was still relying on its performance at the 2018 poll. He advised dissident members of the party to exit it if they would not give way for peace.
“If you are not satisfied with this party, then you exit and allow the rest to have their peace. If you are becoming a dissident to the party, you exit. I am totally disappointed by the way a lot of things are going. Those who exited in the race did so because they felt they were being mismanaged. You have a sitting government you want to confront and you are fighting yourself, is that how to go about it? No!”
He expressed disappointment at the crisis and debunked speculation that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and the National Vice Chairman, South West, Soji Adagunodo, were working against the emergence of Ademola Adeleke.
“My candidate is Senator Ademola Adeleke. It is surprising that Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who had gone through this process (primary) about three times could do this. The party published the names of delegates, officials from Abuja came to the stadium and conducted the primary. Everyone can see which primary is authentic. I don’t even want to believe there was a parallel primary anywhere. We operate a constitutional democracy. If they don’t want the party again, they know what to do. We can also play games. We are at the centre.
Ultimately, if our leaders can’t come together and resolve this matter, we will go legal. We will resolve it eventually at the Supreme Court but I can tell you that we have a candidate at election.
“Four months to the election, no one is campaigning because of these distractions. If we cannot meet and resolve our issues then we should go our separate ways. If you are not satisfied with this party, then you exit and allow the rest to have their peace. If you are becoming a dissident to the party, you exit. I am totally disappointed by the way a lot of things are going. Those who exited in the race did so because they felt they were being mismanaged. You have a sitting government you want to confront and you are fighting yourself, is that how to go about it? No!
“There was a court injunction. A court gave an order that the Ward Congress and 3-man delegates conducted by Hon Soji Adagunodo should be the one to be recognised. But the fact remains that it’s the national party that conducts primaries and that was the ruling that the Ikirun Court gave that paved the way for the primary because it ruled that it’s the national party that conducts primaries. The headquarters also took the ruling into cognisance. Those who were elected (at Osogbo Township Stadium) were the delegates that the court recognised. The five delegates from each ward that our party elected in the election were denied. So, this matter has been laid to rest. So, let’s come together and face this election. They are underestimating the governor (Gboyega Oyetola) and they (Osun APC) know how to resolve themselves.
“I am comfortable with Governor Seyi Makinde because he simply wants the success of the party in the poll. If Governor Makinde was against Adeleke, he wouldn’t have succeeded. I asked Adagunodo why he was not at the primary (Stadium), he said he sent a delegation.
He was the legal Adviser of the South West PDP and others. Adagunodo is not with them (WOCDIF) and is also a member of NEC. He can’t go against the national headquarters. Makinde is not against Adeleke. We will try our best to reconcile but what will be, will be,” the Chairman, Public Account Committee of the lower chamber said.
However, another chieftain of the party, Sunday Ojo Williams argued that Babayemi is the authentic candidate of the party because elders and court order backed the primary held at WOCDIF. He said, according to the constitution of the party, neither INEC officials nor delegates from the national secretariat were needed to attend a primary before a candidate could be elected.
“The leadership of Osun State consists of members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and all of them were there (WOCDIF). You mention Erelu Olusola Obada, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Shuaib Oyedokun, Oluwole Alabi, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipupo, and so many leaders of the party.
When you are talking of party leadership, that’s the formation. Go to the party constitution to see what it tells you about the state congress. A state congress (governorship primary) is different from national convention. This is clear under Section 25 of the PDP Constitution. All BoT members are national officers of the party. I want them to show me where it’s written in the party constitution that national officers will have to supervise the primary.
“The primary that took place in Osogbo Township Stadium was illegal and a jamboree. Who was the state chairman that conveyed the jamboree at the stadium? Constitutionally, anyone who is not a member of a party in the state can’t conduct a state congress. Nobody outside Osun State has the right, function and power to constitute a state congress. A congress is convened by the party chairman and it is the same thing with primary,” he noted, adding that the court would not recognise Adeleke’s candidacy.
Parallel primaries and legal twists
An order, given by an Osun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Jesa had recognised officers of the party elected in 215 wards under the immediate past state chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo as those eligible to participate in the primary of the party.
Another order delivered by Justice A. A. G. Onibokun of an Ikirun High Court stated that it’s the National Executive Committee, either acting through itself or through the National Working Committee that can conduct Ward Congress to elect the Ward Executive officers of the party.
While there was the presence of representatives of the National Working Committee of the party, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and serving national and state officers of the party on Adeleke’s side, it wasn’t the same situation at Babayemi’s venue of the primary. Some members of the elders caucus in the party in the state aligned with Babayemi at the exercise.
Notable leaders of the party including former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Deputy Governor of the state, Erelu Olusola Obada, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Senator Olu Alabi, ex PDP National Vice Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipupo among others were in attendance at WOCDIF where Babayemi emerged winner.
At the primary where Adeleke was elected the PDP flagbearer, were dignitaries that include; ex PDP National Secretary, Wale Oladipo, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Lere Oyewumi, Diran Odeyemi, members of House of Representatives, Wole Oke and Bamidele Salam, as well as, ex Osun PDP chairman, Ganiyu Olaoluwa, amongst others.
At the end of the election held at the Osogbo Township Stadium, the Chief Returning Officer of the Osun State 2022 primary election of the PDP and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, declared Senator Adeleke winner of the exercise. Ewhrudjakpo, who represented Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri at the poll, said Adeleke defeated other aspirants.
He said, “The process went without any hitch. 1,916 delegates were accredited to vote. At the end of the voting, Ademola Jackson Adeleke got 1,887, Dele Adeleke got one, Fatai Akinbade had nil, Dotun Babayemi got nil. Akin Ogunbiyi got nil and Sanya Omirin got four. There were 24 invalid votes.
“By the power conferred on me as the Chief Returning Officer of this gubernatorial primary, we hereby collectively declared Ademola Jackson Adeleke as the winner of this gubernatorial primary for 2022 governorship election in Osun,” Ewhrudjakpo said as he, however, urged all other aspirants to join hands with the winner to win the July 16 governorship election in the state.
He also said that there was no parallel congress in the state, adding that any other congress apart from the one he supervised would not be recognised by the national headquarters of the party. He also congratulated Adeleke.
“The king is here and the crown is here (Osogbo Township Stadium). This is the authentic congress and any other one conducted in any other place will not be recognised,” he added.
In his acceptance speech, Adeleke said there was no victor, no vanquished in the primary adding that “We are all winners. Let’s work together to rescue people of the state from the All Progressives Congress government. He said he was not bothered about Babayemi’s emergence adding that “By God’s grace, PDP will win the July 16 governorship election by a landslide to claim our stolen mandate. Our manifesto will be released in a few days’ time.”
Also speaking, Sunday Bisi, the factional Acting Chairman said the purported withdrawal of the other aspirants was not known to the party’s National Secretariat adding that they contested with Adeleke.
While announcing the results, the Returning Officer at WOCDIF, Adelani Ajanaku said Babayemi polled 1,781 votes.
He said though, other aspirants stepped down for him, some delegates voted for them. Ajanaku said total votes cast are 1907, void votes – 27; valid votes – 1880. Sanya Omirin had 16 votes, Akin Ogunbiyi had 23, Fatai Akinbade had 28, Dele Adeleke had 32 while Dotun Babayemi polled 1781.
He therefore declared Babayemi as the winner and candidate of the party for the governorship election.
Babayemi, while delivering his acceptance speech, promised not to disappoint the party leaders and members. “I am indeed also grateful to everyone for the confidence reposed in me, while making a solemn promise never to disappoint you. Today, I promise not to be the candidate of few but a governorship candidate of all.”
Expect a smashing defeat – APC
Meanwhile, the committee that conducted the NWC backed primary (Adeleke) has submitted results to the national organising Secretary. But the APC director of publicity, Kunle Oyatomi has asked the PDP to expect “a smashing defeat” at the poll.
