KWARA PDP CRISIS DEEPENS AS PARTY PARADES TWO CHAIRMEN
The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Kwara State is yet to be over as TOPE SUNDAY, SECURITY MONITOR’s North Central Bureau Chief writes from Ilorin
The crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension on Thursday as Prince Sunday Fagbemi emerged its state factional chairman.
The state chapter of the party has been experiencing internal wrangling since 2015 shortly after the governorship primaries.
The crisis, however, reached its peak today as the party paraded two chairmen in the state.
While the incumbent Chairman of the party, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, was featuring on a popular Yoruba programme, “PDP gbode” on Harmony FM, Fagbemi was also addressing Journalists at the state secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Ilorin, as the new Chairman of the party.
SECURITY MONITOR recalls that the state chapter of the party had its state congress on Tuesday, but there was an allegation that Oyedepo manipulated the exercise in his favour.
Fagbemi, who was flanked by the pioneer chairman of the party in the state, Barrister Kunle Sulyman, Senator Sulyman Makanjuola Ajadi, Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim and other leaders of the party, said the purported congress that Oyedepo claiming to have re-elected him was null and void.
He alleged that all bonafide delegates and contestants were prevented from entering the congress premises.
Fagbemi, who was once the state Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), also said he left the venue of the congress because he was not satisfied with the security arrangement.
He said, “In consultation with stakeholders, elders and panel members, we decided to move to another location for the congress. We, therefore, moved to Bekandims Hotel hall along University of Ilorin road, Tanke, to hold our congress.
“The congress was peaceful and orderly and was supervised by 5 out of the 7 panel members. The evidence is here for all to see. Out of the 7 panel members, only two signed the purported and fake congress while the five majority endorsed our congress.
“I, Prince Sunday Fagbemi by the grace of God merged as the state chairman, while Captain Isiaka Alao,was also elected as Secretary along with all other executive members”.
But Oyedepo, who featured on the Radio programme,” PDP gbode”, said he was the duly re-elected chairman of the party in the state.
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