Ekiti PDP feud: Who bells the cat?

‘YOMI AYELESO, in this piece, examines what has now turned out to be a protracted crisis in the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has defied all reconciliation efforts and ultimately affecting the fortunes of the party in the state.

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has been confronted with what is now looking like an unending crisis in the last few years. The crisis has almost left the party prostrate and in limbo with the structure of the once ruling party in the state rendered ineffective and effectual.

Many concerned members claimed the precarious state of PDP could be traced to the supremacy battle of the leaders, especially between the camps of a former governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose and Senator Biodun Olujimi. However, the crisis appears to have gone beyond the battle between the two tendencies. According to stakeholders, there is lack of cohesion, compromise and sign of remorse on the part of most of the stakeholders. Aside the fact that the party lost the 2022 governorship election in an embarrassing and unprecedented form, the outcome of this year’s general election pointed to a party in intensive care, needing urgent attention before it is asphyxiated and confined to  the dust bin of history in the state.

The state PDP found itself at the crossroads in the count down to the general election. The leaders completely worked at  cross purposes following the sharp division at the centre over the presidential race. The call for the party to zone the presidency to the South further created crevices, with most chieftains from the southern part of the country pitched against their northern counterparts. Fayose became a leading light in the sustained campaign for power shift to the South. The issue created a major barrier among the tendencies in Ekiti PDP, and the dust arising from the pre-election crisis has not settled.

The party lost all the three senatorial seats, the six seats in the House of Representatives and the 26 seats in the state House of Assembly. In short, the PDP struggled to make an impact in the last elections; whereas, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) got two seats in the state Assembly, a situation many analysts described as worrisome for the PDP.

While some stakeholders have attributed the downturn in the party’s fortune to the alleged anti-party activities of some its leaders, others were of the opinion that the national headquarters otherwise called Wadata House Abuja should be blamed for the sustained absence of peace and unity in the Ekiti PDP. It should be recalled that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party under former chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, weeks before the general election, dissolved the PDP state executive and put in place a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party. The NWC further announced the suspension of Fayose and others for alleged anti-party activities but following the removal of Ayu as substantive chairman, the acting chairman, Umar Damagum lifted the suspension on the former governor for “new spirit and necessity of reconciliation, unity and harmony in our Party at this critical time.” The move, however, did not provide any enduring solution to the lingering crisis as the sacked state working committee of the party which constitutes mostly loyalists of Fayose rejected the dissolution and headed for the court to seek redress. In the last seven months, the Lare Omolase-led executives whose tenure is expected to lapse sometime in 2024, joined the NWC, the caretaker committee as defendants in the suit filed at the court. The twist further widened the gulf in the party as the tendencies battled it out in the courtroom for the soul of the PDP in the state.

Evidently, the cracks has taken its toll on the party in playing its role of opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of Biodun Oyebanji in the state. Many stakeholders, including some bigwigs in the PDP, have on several occasions declared Ekiti as a one-party state in view of the fisticuffs in the party. The Sodiq Obanoyen-led caretaker committee has remained invisible and inactive in the politics of opposition to the APC. Many chieftains of the APC have also expressed disappointment at the turn of events in the opposition party. To them, the ruling government can be put on the spot to deliver on its campaign promises with constructive criticism from the opposition party.

As the legal fireworks continue, the caretaker committee two weeks ago convened a stakeholders meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where leaders and members of the party from the 16 Local Government Areas of the state brainstormed on the challenges and proffered solutions to the issues. Those in attendance included  former chairmen of the party, Gboyega Oguntuase and Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe. The South-West zonal publicity secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, representatives of PDP Central Working Committee and State Executives were also in attendance. Top on resolutions from the meeting was the stakeholders’ call on the National Working Committee to expel Fayose from the PDP in order for the state chapter of the party to come back to life again. The resolutions, which was signed by the caretaker publicity secretary, Chief Olalekan Amerijoye read: “Attendees unabashedly addressed the issue of former Governor Ayodele Fayose, who, on multiple occasions, declared the demise of PDP in Ekiti and openly pledged eight years of consecutive governance to the ruling party, APC; to counteract this detrimental narrative, stakeholders called upon PDP’s national body to expel Fayose from the party. They firmly believed that his conduct not only undermined PDP’s standing in Ekiti State but also tarnished her reputation nationwide.

“ The stakeholders opined that Fayose was nurtured and chaperoned to the political limelight by Ekiti PDP. The various factions and tendencies within the party were encouraged to harmonize, fortifying the party’s unity to confront future challenges effectively.”

A leader of the party in the state and former deputy speaker of the state Assembly, Adewunmi Olusegun blamed the national headquarters for the festering crisis in the PDP Ekiti chapter. He stated that over the years, the NWC had failed to instill discipline and bring cohesion to the party. Adewunmi claimed that the party had not been fair to the majority of members and the people of the state, alleging that the leadership had been more favourably disposed towards Fayose to the detriment of the party. According to him, for the crisis to be resolved and unity return to the party , parties in court should be mandated to withdraw all suits to give room for genuine reconciliation and repositioning. He said: “ There is a need for thorough reconciliation because a lot of things have gone bad as a result of so many things in the past and still happening.  You can’t be fighting your party in court and be saying you are still committed to that same party, it is not possible.

“Let me say this that the Nyesom Wike group is controlling the present NWC and that is the reason we have not seen positive results in Ekiti. They are biased and on the side of a group in the whole drama, they are taking sides.  The moment they pronounced the suspension of Fayose , there was a sigh of relief among party members in the state and when they reversed the decision , things were difficult again, especially those who wanted to join the party and others were dejected.” Adewunmi suggested that the conduct of fresh congresses across ward, local government areas and the state level early next year would be the practicable thing in resolving the impasse within the party.

In spite of the near state of inertia PDP in Ekiti seems to have found itself, some stakeholders are hopeful that the party can still rediscover itself. Their optimism is hinged on the perceived determination, zeal and loyalty of the party members at the grassroots level during occasions and events that bring together party chieftains. But, others believe the path to PDP returning to glory should begin with the leaders putting aside their ego and embracing humility and oneness. Coupled with this is what many of the stalwarts described as the PDP national secretariat avoiding the rule of the thumb instead of upholding the constitution of the party.  To restore peace and ensure progress, they believe the way PDP national leadership brings its acts together following the outcome of the general election will significantly be crucial in injecting life back to the PDP in Ekiti.

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• UAE lifts visa ban on Nigerians after meeting with Tinubu

• Earthquake: Oyo govt sympathises with Morocco

• Nigeria’s malaria death rate drops by 55% — WHO

• VIDEO: Untold story of out-of-school kids in Ibadan

• G-20 Summit: Let’s use our diversity for prosperity, national development — Tinubu

• 5 celebrities who lost loved ones in 2023

• EDITORIAL: The Ogun father-killer