Ekiti PDP crisis: Senator Faseyi seeks urgent intervention of NWC

A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Senator Duro Faseyi has called for the urgent intervention of the National Working Committee (NWC) in resolving the crisis in the state chapter of the party.

Faseyi, who said the party would not survive if the crisis which had culminated in parallel ward executive councils across the state and the suit instituted to stop the party from recognising the list allegedly generated by the Haruna Manu–led ward congresses committee were allowed to continue.

The former lawmaker who spoke with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Thursday clarified that the repositioning movement in Ekiti PDP was neither a faction nor platform for supremacy battle as being alleged in some quarters, saying, “Repositioning began as a step to move the party out of the shock of electoral defeats and chart a new course with the aim of righting the wrongs and restoring PDP to the path of victory.”

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Faseyi who said there was no leadership contest in Ekiti PDP with former governor Fayose, noted that “He (Fayose) governed us for eight years, so it is clear he is the leader and he should play that role. He should not see himself as the leader of a PDP group. He should know how to bring everybody together. That is my advice to him.”

“NWC’s intervention is necessary to restore peace to the party, unite the members and ensure the party ability’s return to power in Ekiti. It is necessary we put the house in order, jettison all divisible tendencies being fueled daily by selfish aggrandizement and unnecessary ego.

“The Manu-led committee did not conduct congresses in some wards including those in Ilejemeje Local Government, where I come from, yet they came up with results. Constituting ward excos based on the list generated by the committee would only lead to chaos. It is unacceptable. Accepting that list by the national body is the beginning of the failure of the party. The implication is that parallel ward excos will continue in Ekiti.”

Faseyi said apart from Manu’s arrival in the state by past 3 pm on the day of the congresses, he refused to listen to advice, adding, “He insisted on fresh congresses. We pleaded that that could only be done the following day considering the time, but he said ‘no’ and distributed the materials at about past 4 pm for congresses in 177 wards.

“Surprisingly, the officials did not go to some wards to conduct the congresses. None of them showed up at the wards in my local government. We waited for them in vain. Some of the so-called officials were even fake. They later converged at Petim Guest House where they entered names into the documents. The way to go is for PDP National to wade in.

“The truth is that there won’t be any local government or state congresses until everything is resolved. The best thing in the present circumstance, which will be in the interest of PDP in Ekiti State,  is for the national body to wade in, call the two sides and do the necessary thing.

“If we continue the case, we don’t know when it will end because it is capable of getting to the Supreme Court. The implication is that there would not be local government and state congresses,” Faseyi said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE