Ayu’s ‘wise men’ yet to meet over Osun PDP crisis

THE Committee of 11 Wise Men set up by the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve the crisis in the Osun State chapter of the party is yet to sit, the Nigerian Tribune learnt at the weekend. 

It will be recalled that stakeholders of the PDP had at a meeting held in Abuja given the ad hoc committee one week to look at the uncanny power struggle among six contenders for the governorship ticket of the party for the forthcoming poll in the state, effective from last Tuesday. 

The key stakeholders at the Abuja meeting included members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP; former governors of the state, ex-national officers and the governorship aspirants of the party for the 2022 election in the state. 

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Ayu had mandated the committee to come up with what he described as the Osun Solution to the leadership crisis in the state chapter of the PDP. 

The members of the ad-hoc committee set up by the PDP national leadership comprised a former governor of Osun State, Prince; Olagunsoye Oyinlola; ex-PDP deputy national chairman, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun; BoT member, Senator Olu Alabi; Senator Francis Fadahunsi; former deputy governor of the state, Erelu Olusola Obada; Professor Wale Ladipo; High Chief Dele Faseru; High Chief Bayo Ajeigbe; Honourable Olasoji Adagunodo; Honourable Sunday Bisi and Honourable Albert Adeogun. 

However, since its inauguration, the committee is yet to sit to tackle issues bordering on leadership and the scramble for the governorship ticket of the party for July 2022 poll in the state. 

“The committee members are yet to sit after the meeting Dr Iyorchia Ayu held with the Osun PDP stakeholders in Abuja. It is meant to resolve the leadership crisis in the state chapter of the PDP,” a source said. 

But another source said there was the issue of money politics in the race for the governorship ticket of the party. 

“How many of the aspirants can afford to give each delegate N200, 000 as was done in the 2018 primaries? There were over 3000 delegates. The stakes are even higher today,” the source added. 

On if the committee could be compromised, the source said it was not possible, given the calibre and pedigree of the members. 

“I wouldn’t think so. The committee is made up of respectable elders. Their mandate is to bring peace among the aspirants. There is too much bad blood in the air. Members of the committee don’t have the power to disqualify. All the aspirants passed the screening process set up by the party,” he stressed. 

Another source said two other issues at stake for the committee to address namely: “When Soji Adagunodo’s tenure as chairman of the party will come to end, the court cases and allegations against a controversial politician among the aspirants.” 

It was gathered that the committee could not meet last Wednesday, due to an engagement involving a leading member in Osun State.