Rumpus In Osun PDP As Elders, Stakeholders Kick Against Party Chairman’s Suspension

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is currently engulfed in crisis as respected elders of the party and other stakeholders have kicked against the suspension of the State Chairman of the party, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Adagunodo was suspended by the NWC on the strength of a petition written against him by some members in the State chapter. He was asked to step aside pending the conclusion of investigations into the allegations levelled against him.
While the Ijesa Peoples Democratic Party Elders Caucus is calling on the PDP NWC to set aside the suspension and allow Adagunodo to complete his tenure, a group within the party in the State, the Osun PDP Concerned Group, fingered Dr. Deji Adeleke, the elder brother of Senator Ademola Adeleke, a former PDP governorship candidate of the party in the state, as the brain behind the latest crisis in the State chapter of the party.
The Ijesa PDP Elders’ Caucus in a communique signed by High Chief Dele Faseru, Deputy Chairman and Convener, Ijesaland PDP Elders’ Caucus after an emergency meeting held on the order of the leader and Chairman, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, on Tuesday gave reasons Adagunodo should remain the party Chairman till the end of his tenure.
The meeting was attended by party leaders in Atakunmosa West, Atakunmosa East, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Obokun and Oriade Local Government areas.The party elders pleaded with the PDP NWC to resolve the issue amicably by setting aside the step aside order on Adagunodo as the Chairman to enable him complete the rest of his term.
The elders also called on the National leadership of the party to urgently set machinery in motion to wade into some undercurrent internal crisis within the party in the state for it to improve on past successes, saying it would go a long way to put the party in a good stead for electoral successes ahead of the 2022 and 2023 elections.
The communique reads: “The meeting deliberated extensively on the issues raised in the letter of step aside alleging ‘malefeasance, maladministration and anti-party activities’ and we found out that all the allegations were indeed spurious”.
“But that is not the core concern of the Ijesa PDP Elders’ Caucus at the moment. Our interest is the sustenance of the unity of purpose, stability and ultimate electioneering success of the party in the State, especially that we are mindful of the fact that in no time, another rounds of elections are around the corner.”
“The PDP Elders in Ijesaland and across the state are fully aware of the general pulse of the polity that are positively on the side of our party. Hence, the current toxic situation requires careful management so we will not fall foul political profligacy and tactlessness.”
“It is also on record that Hon. Soji Adagunodo has served the party diligently since assumption of office since 25th March, 2018, with strings of electoral successes.
“In 2017, our party defeated the then sitting Governor and a fellow Ijesa compatriot at the Osun West Senatorial Bye election of July 8th, 2017 which produced Senator Ademola Adeleke. The results of the 2018 Gubernatorial election under his watch is in the public domain as testimonial of remarkable efforts which were thwarted by the judicial technicalities of the Appellate and Supreme Courts.”
“It is also important to let you know that the leadership of our party under Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo took our party from a deficit electoral defeat of over 100,000 votes when PDP was in power at the centre with all the machineries of government to a winning political party against the incumbent APC government with over 300 votes before that inglorious declaration of inconclusiveness during the governorship polls of September 22nd, 2018, the rest is history.*
“Subsequently, during the 2019 General Elections, the Senatorial Candidate of the PDP (Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi) was returned victorious. The Federal House of Representatives from his home Federal constituency, Hon. Oluwole Oke was also returned. To cap it all, one of the three PDP House of Assembly members in the State is from Obokun State Constituency. Hon. Soji Adagunodo hails from all these three political strongholds.”
The elders also wondered why a performing State Chairman, in the mould of the embattled Adagunodo, would be asked to step aside, an action they believe is a continuation of the alleged marginalisation and victimisation of the Osun East Senatorial District, especially the Ijesha Federal Constituency in the PDP in the state.
For the Osun PDP Concerned Group,  Adeleke has been behind the array of frictions within the party in the state.
The spokesperson of the group, Hon. Akanji Awoniyi, in a statement on Tuesday in Osogbo, the State capital, said posterity will not forgive Adeleke for the role he allegedly played in the ongoing crisis in Osun PDP.
The statement read: “Political watchers in Osun State are learning one or two lessons in the emerging crisis within Osun PDP and the games being played by Dr Deji Adeleke and his arrays of fangs”.
“How they masterminded the suspension of the State Chairman of the party, Hon Soji Adagunodo is already an open secret. As if that was not enough, he has started searching for a successor ahead of the verdict of the National Disciplinary Committee of the party.”
“In far away Dubai, he perfected the plans and fails to acknowledge the fact that God will not cease to be God and has His way no matter the wish and disposition of any mortal, either rich or poor.”
“The happenings in our party is, to say the least, unfortunate. In his double standard and unholy game of chess, Deji Adeleke attempted to conscript Professor Wale Ladipo onto his avowed mission to remove the State Chairman by offering to bankroll his PDP National Chairman ambition, and cede deputy governor slot to his desired nominee come 2022 on condition that the former secretary pull his weight behind the removal of Adagunodo.”
“Not satisfied with the position of the former National Secretary, the self acclaimed PDP sympathizer also reached out to a former Governor of the State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, pledging to support his National Chairmanship. Which kind of sympathiser is that? We all know where his interest lies and cannot but wonder why he is determined to have his way by fire by crook.”
“Wealth without humanity is bullshit. Total nonsense! He bragged that he has the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Governor Wike of Rivers behind him and as such, can influence who will take over the National Chairmanship position.”
“Only God knows what Prince Olagunsoye and Prof Oladipo’s possible collision in respect to their bids for the position of National Chairman would cause again. Dr Deji is playing games and setting everyone against each other to achieve his ultimate goal of dislodging the state chairman for eventual control of the party structure in Osun State.”