Issues behind resignation by chair, others in Osun SDP

OLUWOLE IGE writes on issues arising from the resignation, last week, of the chairman of the Osun State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr Bayo Faforiji and a few other leaders from the party.

 

It is an understatement to say that all is not well within the Osun State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), considering the exit of some of its leaders in the state. The resolve of the chieftains, who formed the bulk of the coalition it entered into with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and that eventually culminated in victory for Governor Gboyega Oyetola during the rerun of September 2018, to dump the SDP is the climax of an intra-party squabble.

Investigation revealed that, while the coalition had paid off for a few stalwarts of the SDP, who were recently nominated as commissioners and special advisers by Oyetola, some party leaders who did not benefit from such gesture, felt abandoned after their contributions to the success of the APC-led administration in the last governorship election in the state.

The seeming frustration reached the crescendo Wednesday, last week when the chairman of the SDP in the state, Dr Bayo Faforiji, tendered his resignation letter and also announced his decision to exit the party.

Faforiji, a former Commissioner for Works during the administration of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, had been a close ally of a former deputy governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, since their days in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their friendship continued thenceforth, even when they defected to the SDP, alongside their supporters in the build up to 2018 governorship election. Omisore contested the election and later formed an alliance with the APC to defeat the PDP in the subsequent rerun.

Faforiji, who was also a former chairman of the PDP in Osun, was apparently tactical about what prompted his resolve to dump the SDP. He simply stated in his resignation letter, dated October 2, 2019 and addressed to the SDP national chairman, that his voluntary resignation was as a result of his ideological perspective and value which he said were at variance with that of the party.

The letter read: “I have come to realise that the requirement of my office as state chairman and member of the party, in the current circumstances, are at variance with the value that I believe in and wish to protect for as long as God gives me sustenance.” This was as he thanked the SDP National Working Committee (NWC) and members in Osun State for their support and loyalty while he at the helms of affairs of the party.

Twenty four hours after Faforiji abandoned the SDP, no fewer than 11 chairmen at the local government level also dumped the party. Similarly, the chairman of the party in Osun West Senatorial District, Mr Ogungboyega Adetoye, also took his exit from the party.

Others stalwarts, who dumped the SDP in Osun included the deputy chairman, Mr Folaranmi Hamzat; state women leader, Alhaja Iyabo Oyedele and a House of Assembly aspirant in the last election on the platform of the party from Odo Otin Constituency, Prince Adeboye Akinyemi.

The affected SDP local government chairmen included Ojo Elegunmeje (Ayedaade); Odeleye Olu (Boluwaduro); David Olukanni (Atakunmosa); Ireakari Fapohunda (Oriade); Adekola Semiu (Egbedore); Akande Akeem (Iwo) and Adediran Olusola (Boripe).

Findings also indicated that their action was not unconnected to a rumoured plan by the party to, once again, field its candidate in the 2018 governorship election in the state, Senator Omisore, in the 2022 governorship election.

However, the Osun SDP organising secretary, Honourable Ayotunde Solomon, said the insinuation was unfounded. He said; “Faforiji and other chairmen are members of the PDP in disguise. They are due to be expelled for anti-party activities. We have not concluded to use Senator Iyiola Omisore as the SDP governorship candidate in 2022. The 2022 gubernatorial election is still far away.”

Similarly, SDP deputy national chairman (South), Dr Olu Agunloye, in a WhatsApp message made available to newsmen, said: “The national headquarters of the party called Dr Bayo Faforiji, estwhile Osun State chairman, on Monday, 30 September, 2019, to inform him about the readiness of the national headquarters to dissolve the Osun State Working Committee (SWC) and replace it with caretaker committee.”

The message added: “The national headquarters informed him of its willingness to provide him with a soft-landing. He (Faforiji) spent considerable time yesterday (1 October, 2019) discussing with the national leadership on various scenarios, including the three names he suggested to be on the proposed committee.

“He then promised that he will decide on October 2. At about 7 pm yesterday, he sent in his letter of resignation. On 3 October, 2019, the Osun SWC will be formally dissolved and a 17-man panel will be sworn in as the caretaker committee (CTC). Wherever possible, the national headquarters will strive to provide soft-a landing in case of the dissolution but will not compromise on the “appropriate changes that may be necessary to move forward.”

In a bid to address the lacuna created by the exit of Faforiji and some members of his executives, the SDP NWC subsequently constituted a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party, pending the time it would organise a state congress to elect substantive leaders of the party for the state. It also approved the appointment of Dr Sola Oladeinde as the chairman of the caretaker committee. The SDP national leadership, in the appointment letter dated 4 October, 2019, said it appointed Oladeinde to resolve the protracted crisis the party in the state.

The intra party began when the party’s candidate during September 2018 governorship poll, Senator Omisore and some other members formed the coalition with the APC to win the rerun election in some local government councils in the state.

The APC-led government in the state recently rewarded the SDP with two commissioner slots as Omisore’s running mate, Mr Yemi Lawal and Taiwo Akeju, were announced cabinet members of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

But the SDP national leadership clarified that the appointment of Oladeinde was in consonance with Article 12.5 subsection (1) and (2) and 19.6 of the constitution of the party, as amended in 2018. The party therefore charged the chairman of the caretaker committee to, as a matter of urgency, identifies aggrieved members of the party, with a view to reconciling and reintegrating them into the party. It also mandated the caretaker committee to organise and reposition the party in accordance with guidelines from the national headquarters of the party.

Oladinde is also mandated to streamline administrative and political processes within the party in relations to the elders’ council, intra-communication network, administrative offices, membership register, bank account, state, local and ward secretariats, sign boards, banners, flags in accordance with new policies of the party.