Fayose, Olujimi ready to embrace peace in Ekiti PDP —Agboola

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) Caretaker Committee in Ekiti State, Senator Hosea Agboola, in this interview by ‘YOMI AYELESO, gives an insight into the efforts at resolving the crisis in the state chapter of the opposition party within 90 days as mandated by the PDP leadership

THERE are allegations that the seven-man committee was constituted by the National Working Committee (NWC) in favour of a tendency in the crisis in the party. What is your reaction?

We have a seven-man committee and two of us in the committee are not from this state. I am from Oyo State, Prince Diran Odeyemi is from Osun State and other members were drawn from different interests within the party in the state such as the camps of former Governor Ayo Fayose and Senator Biodun Olujimi. The committee was set up without any bias; I am sure of this.

Obviously, there are issues in the party which need to be resolved for the party to stand any chance in future elections in the state. How far has your committee gone in this regard?

Yes, we are on it. We have visited Fayose and we are going to see Senator Olujimi, Senator Duro Faseyi and other stakeholders in the party. We will discuss with them and let me say that all of them are also preaching peace. When we were with former Governor Fayose, he told us that we should also reach out to others. Senator Olujimi has said she would not allow people to be embarrassing Fayose as some All Progressives Congress members are doing now, accusing him of corruption. If she is against Fayose, she won’t be telling us that. I believe, we are going to achieve the prospect of peace we are preaching in Ekiti PDP. Surely, we are going to arrive where we were in 2002. This peace mission will not fail.

The present crisis in the party reached a different dimension after the March 7, 2020 ward congress of the party where we have parallel executives. What is the position of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the congress?

The position of the NWC will soon be made public. Don’t forget the case as regards the congress is in court and I don’t want to say anything on it. All we are after is to have unified local government executives and state executives. As regards the ward executives, the NWC will know what to do on it.

On the court case you mentioned, we all know it can derail all the ongoing peace efforts by your committee. Are you talking to those people concerned on the need to withdraw the case?

We are going to talk to them and I want to assure you that everything will be settled. Those who are behind the case, that is, the Olujimi group, we will talk to them.

Your assignment in the state has a timeline of 90 days. Do you think all these issues will be resolved within the next three months?

Since all the groups are preaching peace, it will soon be resolved. Fayose said we should look for peace; Olujimi said we should also look for peace. So, we are optimistic. The way politicians operate is quite different from the way people see them. The more you see, the less you know. With all you have read about Fayose, when we got to him, it was a different thing entirely. He believes that if wars that were fought with guns and bullet could be settled on the roundtable, he said that the misunderstanding within the party can also be resolved. He did not discourage us from seeing other stakeholders; he even said he would give us their phone numbers so that we can contact them. There is no one among these gladiators that is not ready for peace.  The issues of court and ward congress are just by the side, but by the time we achieve peace and love among them, other things will be resolved. We are not anticipating any issue.

 There are issues concerning the return of a former governor of the state, Chief Segun Oni to the party when ex-Governor Fayose said there won’t be a red carpet reception for him. What is happening that a lot people do know?

Let me say this that Chief Oni has written to us on his return to the PDP and he has joined us. Like I said, we want the party to be where we were in 2002 and other people will still return to the PDP as time goes on. We are talking to a lot of people.  What you are reading were all for press consumption. If Fayose said he is not welcoming Oni but he was the one that said we should go and visit him, you can understand what I am talking about. Sincerely speaking, he said we should go and discuss with him. The party belongs to everybody, not a single person. We are working for the party and not a single man. Nobody can say he does not want to see you in the party.

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