By DAYO JOHNSON & GBENGA OLARINOYE

AKURE-THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State, weekend elected new state Executive members at a congress that was peaceful signifying a new beginning for the party in the state.

Only the position of the state Chairman was contested for out of the 28-member executive members while other positions were done on consensus.

Speaking during the congress, former governor of the State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, said the party would reclaim  the state and salvage it from perceived ‘misrule’.

Dr Agagu urged members of the party not to despair as the party had bounced back to reckoning after the initial crisis which he alleged was sponsored “from outside.”

The election was supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, leaders of the PDP National Secretariat.

The former state Chairman of the Interim committee Ebenezer Alabi, emerged as the Chairman with over 500 votes defeating two other contestants.

The two were Olabisi Johnson, former Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission and Mike Adeyeye, former state Sports Council chairman.

Meanwhile, in Osun State, former Chairman of Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, has emerged the State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,in the state.

At the State Congress held at Osogbo Stadium Weekend, Alhaji Olaoluwa, reportedly sponsored by Senator Iyiola Omisore, won after defeating Kayode Idowu, a former member of the House of Representatives with 575 votes to 490 votes.

Election into 22 other party’s offices could not hold when it dawn on the party elders and leaders that Olaoluwa’s camp would win a majority of positions being contested for.

They pleaded with the chairman, congress committee of the party,  Adejare Bello to allow for harmonization for the remaining positions between the camp of Omisore and those presented by the party elders.

The harmonization meeting was held at the Osogbo residence of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola where positions were shared between the two camps.

It was gathered out of 22 positions; 12 went to Omisore’s camp while 10 positions were given to the other camp.