BY DAYO JOHNSON
AKURE – THE crisis in the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took a new turn yesterday as leaders and stakeholders of the party suspended the immediate past Governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu from the party and also dissolved the State Executive Committee of the party.

This was the fall out of the suspension of the Defence Minister, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN, and the rejection of the controversial ministerial list forwarded by the state chapter of the party.

The leaders alleged that the list was compiled by seven of the 10 names on it in an hotel room in Lagos with Agagu and Dairo in attendance.

They resolved that Dr Agagu should account for the “enormous amount of money contributed by members, as welfare fund which he solely administered while a nine member interim committee is to be put in place to administer the party in the state.

The leaders and stakeholders, mostly  Agagu’s former aides, including former commissioners, special advisers, chairmen of boards and parastaltals, women leaders, local government chairmen amongst others announced the decision  in Akure.

According to them, Dr Agagu and the party executive were axed for their “inexplicable and inexcusable electoral failure and accentuating the unending crisis in the party which has brought it to its comatose state”.

Their spokesman who was Agagu’s former Special Adviser on Political Matters, Chief Segun Adegoke said Agagu “has become the albatross of the party”.

He added that the leaders had to use the doctrine of necessity to save the party from total collapse and disintegration.
“We have chosen to work together for the revitalisation of the PDP by making it a grass root party once again, We declare that never again shall any single man be synonymous with the party in the state. Indeed we have come to the end of the imperial era in Ondo State”.

But reacting to the development, the former deputy governor to Agagu, Chief Omolade Oluwateru and the party’s chairman, Dr Tayo Dairo described the leaders and stakeholders as “frustrated politicians who are no more relevant within the party.”

Oluwateru said they lack the constitutional right to suspend the former governor and sack the State Executive Committee.

He added that the names of the list were arrived at after due consultation across the 18 council areas of the state, adding that the said leaders were raising false alarm and that they wanted to disorganise the party.

The State Party Chairman, Dr Dairo in his reaction described them as jesters and spent bullets within the party, adding that 30 elders of the party met to pick the 10 names on the list forwarded to the party secretariat.

But the leaders and stakeholders asked Dairo to account for N33 million contributed by members for the building of the state secretariat of the party and another N10 million donated by Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and all monies for the various elections.

The leaders accused the Dairo-led executive of having “outlived its usefulness and that it would be unforgivable if we decided to act cripple, dump, deaf and blind and allow this infamy to continue without doing anything”.

According to them, “Agagu and Dairo has led the party and the party has failed in five electoral contests consecutively and instead of finding solution was orchestrating suspension of members.

Those that attended the conference include Former Speaker Taofiq Abdusalam, Former Commissioners Ayo Ifayefunmi, Isaacs Kekemeke, Eddy Olafeso,Tayo Alasoadura, former Special Adviser Segun Adegoke, Seantor Hosea Ehinlanwo, Former Chairmen Dennis Alonge Niyi, Adebambo Odoro,Stephen Olemija,Akin Aruwajoye.
Others include Demola Adegoroye,Dr Patrick Gbakinro, Col Tunde Awodeyi, Bamidele Adeladun, Charles Adeduro, Hon Alake, Femi Bello Demola BabalolaTimehin Adelegbe, Kudirat Obayan amongst others