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A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State chapter loyal to Senator Abiodun Olujimi on Tuesday dissociated itself from the statement credited to the faction loyal to former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, attacking Oyo State governor,Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The party expressed its displeasure in a statement, titled: ‘Ekiti PDP disowns Fayose, backs Makinde’s S’ West leadership signed by the factional Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Adesua, in Ado Ekiti.
Adesua said the undisputable leader of the party in the South West is the Oyo State governor, in accordance with the party’s rules and conventions.
The faction urged Fayose “to support Makinde’s leadership and allow peace to reign in the zone, instead of leading another group to oppose him.”
“This is not to say that former Governor Ayo Fayose can be wished away in the scheme of things as one of the party leaders in the zone, but he should understand that he does not own the party and as such, should respect the existing political organogram/arrangements which he once benefitted from, as the only elected PDP governor in the zone between 2014 and 2018,” Adesua stated.
The factional spokesperson said the party, which had only one sitting governor out of the six states in the South West, could no longer afford destabilisation orchestrated by individuals who assumed ownership of the party.
Adesua said the Olujimi group preferred leaders and members working collectively to forestall any distraction from the focus of winning elections for the party and providing quality leadership for the people of Ekiti State.
Meanwhile, a former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr Wole Oyelese, has blamed the festering crisis in the South West chapter of the PDP on the inability of the national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to caution the warring factions.
Oyelese, said this in an interview with journalists in Ibadan, on Tuesday.
The former minister said if the national chairman of the party had called Makinde and Fayose to resolve the crisis, the embarrassing situation would have been averted.
“It is unfortunate that the party at the national level allowed things to get to this level.
“My expectation is by now, the national body, especially the national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, should have cautioned the two of them. The crisis between Governor Seyi Makinde and Ayo Fayose, shouldn’t have been allowed to get to this level,” Oyelese said.