Schism in the Osun State chapter of PDP is becoming more visible by the day as the dates for the congresses draw near. The party is presently divided along two primordial lines and there are no signs of possible compromise or consensus.
Leading one camp is the Apesin Oodua, Senator Iyiola Omisore while the other camp comprises other principal stakeholders with a good number of Omisore’s long time foot soldiers and reliable men.
Though the congresses include that of ward and local government levels, all eyes are, however, on the May 10, 2016 state congress that would produce excos for the party at the state level. Barrister Kayode Oduoye, Omisore’s running mate in the 2014 election, Hon. Adejare Bello, reps member, Honourable Wole Oke, Chief Ade Fadahunsi, former Minister for Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi , Chief Oludaisi Aina and former FERMA chairman, Dr Jide Adeniji are all rooting for the candidature of Hon. Soji Adagunodo for the chairmanship seat while Senator Iyiola Omisore is backing Hon. Bayo Faforiji.
Also, Omisore’s long time foot soldiers backing Adagunodo include Akogun Lere Oyewunmi and Chief Kunle Alao.
Meanwhile, Dr Bayo Faforiji has flagged off his campaign on the 18th of this month, he was led to the party secretariat in Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo by Senator Omisore. At the event, the Ile-Ife born Senator launched diatribes and threw gauntlets at former loyalists that pitched tent with the Adagunodo’s camp. Conspicuously absent was the state party Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa and several reasons were advanced for his absence.
‘He is expected to stand neutral and that is what he has endeavoured to do, though it is normal that he attends flag-off of all the aspirants once he is invited but in this case the state exco members had no prior knowledge of the event and don’t forget that the building being used as secretariat belongs to Omisore, those are part of the anomalies that should be corrected’, stated a source in the party.
Adagunodo, a former member of the state house of assembly is also flagging off his campaign on Monday, 25th, April and arrangements are in top gear to make strong political statement with the event in terms of numerical strength as almost all known faces in the party are backing Adagunodo while the body languages of the National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo and the state Chairman Ganiyu Olaoluwa are not also receptive to talks of Omisore’s hidden agenda.
Omisore had in 2012 insisted on going to the field as against the party leaders’ option of a consensus candidate in the late Kayode Idowu and his candidate, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa eventually won at the congress. Would he repeat same feat? Whichever way it ends, it is clear that it is indeed going to be quite interesting and it would definitely record a political epoch for one of the camps. Meanwhile, the Osun State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Adebimpe Ogunlumade; Director, State Audit, Mr. Tajudeen Badejoko and a driver, Mr. Oladapo Ajani Arogundade were kidnapped on Obajana / Lokoja road by unknown gunmen on Friday.
The officials were returning from Abuja where they attended the briefing on the State and Local Government Reforms Project; a World Bank and European Union’s Programme. No contact has been established with the kidnappers yet as at the time of filing this report.
-Akinlolu Abayomi
