Endless troubles of Ogun PDP

When will the dust of crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State get settled? Will the party ever come together again as a formidable one? Why is it that the gladiators within the party are not ready to shift ground and move on? What is the bone of contention since 2011?

The above are some of the questions agitating in the minds of the political class in the state, because the once united people under same umbrella have failed to reconcile their differences for the party to move forward. The crisis in Ogun PDP was said to have been the genesis of crisis in the party in the South West states and this has continued to linger on.

No doubt, the festering crisis had cost the party dearly with its inability to return to power since 2011, having administered the state for eight years under the administration of Chief Gbenga Daniel-2003-2011. As it is, the party is divided into four major  factions because of the irreconcilable differences among the gladitors of each faction over these years.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that the gladiators, ahead of the 2015 general elections held a mega rally tagged “Unity Rally”, at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, with the hope and belief that they will work together in the interest of the party. This did not stand the test of time, as they (gladiators) again went their different ways.

The gladiators of the four groups are the former governor of the state, Chief Gbenga Daniel, Senator Buruji Kashamu, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole and a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu.

It is crystal clear that the Daniel and Adebutu groups are on the same page as far as the party is concerned while Buruji who is believed to be the major financier of the party is fighting tooth and nail through the courts to ensure that the soul of the party resides with his faction.

While there is a pointer that Bankole may have dumped the party for the newly formed Action Democratic Party (ADP), because his father, a frontline politician, Chief Suara Alani Bankole, is a key stakeholder.

With the recent judgement delivered by the Supreme Court authenticating the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee, the Kashamu faction might have compeletely lost out. The state executive, loyal to Kashamu, was dissolved alongside other eight states and a caretaker committee was apppointed to administer the party before the national convention slated for December 9.

The festering crisis had continued since 2008 when it  started. The factions have engaged themselves in legal battle with the dissolved state executive led by Engineer Bayo Dayo, insistence that it cannot be sent packing because they were duly elected into office. The Kashamu faction had again approached the court challenging this development, the position of the dissolved exco is that the party’s national convention cannot repudiate a validly constituted state executive, which has been further legitimised by the judgment of a Federal High Court that has not been appealed.

It posited that the judgement cannot  be appealed again, due to the constitutional lapse of time allowed to do so. The party at the national level had expressed concern over the continued crisis in its Ogun State chapter, despite the constitution of a caretaker committee, to reposition the party.

Makarfi was quoted to have accused Kashamu as the brain behind the crisis in the state chapter of the party . He said this while inagurating the caretaker committees for Osun and Adamawa states, at the PDP national secretariat, in Abuja.

“We have constituted caretaker committees in seven states and all of them are working well. The crisis is only in Ogun chapter and it seems he (Kashamu) is the one fueling it,” Makarfi said.

The Ogun State PDP caretaker committee led by Chief Tunde Odanye said it has not been able to function, due to the refusal of the existing state executive committee which is loyal to Kashamu, to hand over to it. The Kashamu faction state executive committee claimed it has court orders recognising it as the valid executive committee, which are yet to be challenged in the appeal court.

The executive committee in exercising its right invoked the court’s order, which resulted in the arrest and charging of two members of the caretaker committee to court. Makarfi warned that PDP will no longer tolerate frivolous court cases challenging its decisions. He said, “It is very unfortunate that some members are still rushing to court over party matters without following due process. This must stop forthwith, members should embrace peace, we are all members of the party and the interests of all party members will be protected.

“From now on, going to court on party matters will be seriously resisted by the leadership. You must look inward for peaceful resolution of your grievances as contained in the party’s constitution.

“Anybody caught doing this or fueling unnecessary crisis in the party will be severely dealt with in line with the constitution of the party. Nobody is saying that you should not exercise your fundamental human rights, but in doing so, you should respect the constitution of the party

“Henceforth, we will come hard on those members in line with our party’s constitution. Those concerned should retrace their steps because a tree cannot make a forest.”

However, the legal fireworks by the Kashamu faction had not in anyway stopped the Chief Odanye-led caretaker committee to conduct the ward and local government congresses as directed by the national body ahead of the convention.

The ward and the local congresses had been conducted with new officers elected to steer the ship of the party with no input of the Kashamu faction in the two exercises.  Officals of the Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC) monitored the exercises to make it ensure its validity.

Will the Ogun State chapter of PDP witness the conviviality and oneness again? Will the party return to power without genuine reconcilitation and determination to work together? Will it not be better for the gladiators to bury their egos and self interest in the overall interest of other members? These questions are the ones agitating the minds of political watchers in the polity of the gateway state.