… Pledges to unite aggrieved members
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, in Ogun State, backed by the National Working Committee, has elected new state executive members to pilot the affairs of the party for another four years.
Sikirulai Ogundele emerged Chairman of PDP in Ogun State, even as Samson Bamgbose had earlier emerged as Chairman of the Buruji Kashamu faction.
Recall that the party has been maintaining two factions in the state for some time, a situation that had contributed largely to its poor performance in past elections.
But, Sikirulai, while speaking to journalists during the congress, held at the Olusegun Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the state capital, insisted that there had been no factions in the party, arguing that the party had only experienced misunderstanding among members.
The Chairman hinted that all members of the PDP, including those perceived to be aggrieved, had been united through the intervention of the party’s national organ.
He said, “It was a misunderstanding and not crisis that led to people leaving the party. But today, we have convinced ourselves on the reason why we have to come together. We now have everybody in our fold today.
“We thank God that we have our party back. The national organ has intervened based on current court judgement. Based on my activeness, proactiveness and uprightness, I have been unanimously elected as the Chairman of PDP, Ogun State chapter.”
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 election.
Speaking in the same vein, the outgoing Chairman, Adebayo Dayo, who was once in the Kashamu camp, stressed that what had been in existence for two years in the state’s PDP was a group, expressing optimism that the party would take over the state come 2023.
He said, “There is no other side in PDP, we have many groups in PDP. All we have been trying to do in the last two years is to make sure we come together. You can see today that people are very happy. We have a very bright future, and I can tell you, there are no groups anymore in PDP. We have all come together to stay under one umbrella.
“You know we had a judgment a few days ago, which said that only the Congress organised by the Adebayo Dayo-led executive is legal in Ogun State. I am Adebayo Dayo, I am using the power given to me by the judgement in suit number LAC6362016.
“That is the judgement that empowers me and my executives to be in the office up to the time of this congress, and to hand over the result sheet of this congress to the headquarters in Abuja, and that is what I am doing here today.”
