ABEOKUTA– Ahead of the 2023 general elections,a fresh crisis seems to be brewing in the Ogun State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as members protest imposition of ward ad-hoc delegates allegedly loyal of Governorship Aspirant, Ladi Adebutu.
The protesters thronged the State Secretariat of the party in Abeokuta, bearing different inscriptions such as, ‘ Iyochia Ayi, Save Ogun PDP from autocracy, ‘Election rigging is worst than armed robbery, ‘Recognised elections monitored by INEC, No INEC, no Election, ‘Ogun PDP position, not for questionable characters, ‘Enough of Ladi Adebutu imposition in Ogun PDP, and ‘Ogun PDP, not an arm of Baba Ijebu’.
Addressing newsmen, Idris Taiwo Olabode who is a member of the party, alleged that the National Working Committee (NWC) in connivance with Ladi Adebutu, who is a governorship candidate of trying to throw away a duly monitored election across the 20 LGAs, while imposing the delegates loyal to the aspirant.
Olabode also noted that the implications is that the Party is being streamline to favour just a candidate at the forthcoming governorship primaries, adding that it is a dangerous trend which will work against the party in the general elections, hence the protest.
“On Saturday, delegates elections were held in all the 20 local government areas of Ogun State, but the National Working Committee from Abuja, accepted the results of the Local Governments, whose chairmen are loyal to Ladi Adebutu and disregarded the remaining.
“It’s a case where the leadership of the party is unfair and unjust. It is very dangerous for the party.
” It means the NWC are trying to disregard an election duly monitored by INEC, and trying to forcely announce the results of a small group of people, who in anycase did not hold any Congress. If they held any Congress, let them provide a video evidence.
“But there is group who held a Congress, duly monitored by INEC, DSS, The Police and the Civil Defense. There is pictoral and video evidences for this.
“The implications is that Ladi Adebutu is trying to impose an unpopular delegate over popular delegate. How can a single man select over 40 elective posts in the party. He is trying to impose delegates in all the Local Government for his selfish purpose. This is uncalled for”, he added
The protesters however called on the State Exco, led by Sikirulai Ogundele to as a matter of urgency look into the matter, stating that the issue if not properly manage may smell doom for the party at the general elections in 2023.
“The Sikirulai Ogundele led Exco is doing something about this I am being told, he has issued a letter in this regard. But the State Working Committee, represented by Omooba Sunday Solarin are working in collaboration with the National Working Committee to carry out this act, which we will resist.
“So, we are calling on them to accept our mandate. The results of all the Local Government areas must be accepted, our candidates must be announced to the whole world”, he noted
