The internal battle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state is set to linger into the party’s congress with those aggrieved party members against Governor Seyi Makinde ready to hold a parallel congress.
This became apparent with the disclosure that the aggrieved Oyo PDP members have also purchased nomination forms for all 33 local government areas of the state and have begun submitting them to the National Secretariat of the party.
Confirming this development to Tribune Online, on Monday, Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, who is among those speaking for the aggrieved party members, affirmed that they were also PDP members and had got forms for all the 33 local government areas of the state.
This move comes just as the Kunmi Mustapha leadership of the Oyo PDP disclosed, last week, that Governor Seyi Makinde had purchased all nomination forms for party members across the 33 local government areas of the state.
Speaking on the apparent parallel congress in the state, Olopoeyan argued that parallel congresses were nothing new, noting that Governor Seyi Makinde emerged as a candidate of the party from a parallel congress.
Olopoeyan held that the two divides in the party were extending to the congress because there had been no development since the Senator Bukola Saraki reconciliation committee visited the state and gave an August mandate for the resolution of the issues.
Olopoeyan said: “Since SenatorBukola Saraki reconciliation committee visited, the governor has done nothing. So, everyone remains on his or her own lane and we have also gone to purchase forms.
“We are all PDP members and have got forms for all the 33 local government areas of the state. In fact, all forms have been shared and we are already returning them to the National Secretariat in Abuja.
“Parallel congress is allowed. Even for the current Oyo governor, parallel congress was done.
“We got our forms, they have got theirs. If parallel occurs, it is part of congress. Every party member is on his or her own.
“The governor has not invited anyone of us or spoken with us. The governor is not ready to speak with anyone anymore.
“No one is leaving our side. We are the PDP, they are Omituntun. No one can chase us away from the party. We own the party and no one can chase us out.”
Asked that his side seemed to be losing out in the party reckoning going by the Governor Ahmadu Fintiri led convention committee composition, Olopoeyan argued that the committee simply had a duty to organise a convention and that the congress here was an entirely different ball game.
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