The crisis in the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party is far from being resolved as the former President Olusegun Obasanjo's faction on Sunday disagreed with the Chief Bayo Dayo-led State Executive Committee over the suspension of four party stalwarts from Ogun West Senatorial district.
The Obasanjo faction in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Bidemi Osunbiyi, said the Dayo-led exco, backed by businessman Mr. Buruji Kashamu, lacked the powers to take such an action against the party chiefs from Ogun West.
The state exco had on Friday suspended Kazeem Salako, Alhaji Alli Ajibode, Chief Wale Egunleti and Olusoji Eweje all from Ogun West for allegedly fraternising with the opposition.
But the Obasanjo faction, led by Senator Dipo Odujinrin, described the suspension of the party chiefs as “a ruse.”
It said the suspended party chiefs should rather be commended for embracing the reconciliation process of the party.
The statement read, “An unrecognised group has no locus standi to act on behalf of the party. The end has come for the group as we expect the two other senatorial districts to emulate the Yewa people.”
According to Osunbiyi, the peace initiative has “finally nailed the coffin of the activities of the aggrieved Kashamu group in the senatorial district.”
The Obasanjo faction therefore called on security agencies to be vigilant “on the latest antics of the sinking group to disrupt PDP meetings in the state as was done last Wednesday.”
But the Dayo-led exco in a statement by its Secretary, Semiu Sodipo, wondered why the Obasanjo faction should question its action in Ogun West.
The exco described the Obasanjo faction as “meddlesome interlopers” seeking relevance by all means.
It argued that since the Dayo-led state exco remained the “only authentic and legally recognised leadership” of the party in the state, the Obasanjo faction could not query its right to sanction any errant party member.
Sodipo said, “First, we shudder to think why the illegal Odujinrin group, which has been in a desperate search for members to validate its illegalities, will rush to defend adult partymen who are facing disciplinary action.They are meddlesome interlopers seeking validation from any and every quarter.
“These are a bunch of people whose purported congresses were invalidated by the very congresses monitoring committee sent by the national headquarters just like the courts have pronounced in several judgments.”
