By DAUD OLATUNJI
ABEOKUTA – Large scale crisis has hit the Peoples Democratic Party, Ogun State chapter as two factions will hold separate ward congresses today (Saturday), across the state.

The 14-man exco has divided into two factions and were set to hold parallel congresses across the state today (Saturday).

One of the factions is led by the state party chairman, Bayo Dayo, and the Secretary, Semiu Sodipo.

The second faction consisted of nine other executives of the party viz Deputy state chairman, Elder Sunday Soledolu, state publicity secretary, Waliu Oladipupo, state youth leader, Taofeek Osundara, state women leader, Nike Odutola, state Treasurer, Aibinuola Adegoke, Vice-state chairman, Amusa Isiaka, state organising secretary, Folasade Filani, state auditor, Chief Ibukun Ojosipe and state legal officer, Barrister Boladale Sanni.

The nine aggrieved members alleged that they were constrained to pull out of the 14-member state Exco because their roles had been hijacked by the State PDP Chairman , the state Secretary and three others whom they also accused of sidelining them in the running of the party.

Addressing the media on Friday, both the state publicity secretary of the party and the State Organising Secretary alleged that Dayo and Sodipo, had sidelined other nine members of the state working committee.

Oladipupo accused the state chairman and secretary of the party of acting against the directives of the PDP National Secretariat extending their tenure beyond the February 28 expiry date.

Oladipupo, who was flanked by other eight members, said they were expected to be involved in the day-to-day running of the party in the state, but the reverse had been the case.

He however stressed that they would not be part of the ward congresses to be conducted today by the five remaining members of the Bayo Dayo-led state exco of the PDP.

He said, “These are nine out of 14 state working committee member in Ogun empowered to carry out the day-to-day running of the party according to the constitution of the party. But from the situation on the ground now, the nine of us have been excluded. Only the chairman and the secretary have been in charge. We have been excluded from functioning in our various offices. Our offices and functions have been totally hijacked by the state chairman and the secretary.

“We have therefore distanced ourselves from tomorrow’s (today’s) congresses because we have been sidelined.”

“Our tenure has expired on February 28, 2016, but with the pronouncement of the National Working Committee we are still functioning as the State Working Committee.

“However, we are not being allowed to function as members of the State Working Committee.”

Also speaking at the press conference, the PDP State Organising Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Folashade Filani, said that any congress conducted by the chairman and secretary of the party in the state without the inputs of the nine allegedly excluded exco members would be illegal as well as null and void.

According to her, only five members of the state exco could not go ahead to conduct today’s ward congresses.

She said “We are the authentic group, following the rules and regulations of the party. We have 100 per cent power to conduct the ward congresses, and we will do just that tomorrow(Saturday).”

“Out of 14 members of exco, there must be quorum, we are nine , we form the quorum. As Organising Secretary , I have 100 per cent power

“Any congresses conducted by them is illegal because we form a quorum and five people cannot just go ahead to conduct the congresses. We have declared a vote of no confidence on the Bayo Dayo-led exco in conducting the congresses. We believe a quorum needs to be formed before they can take any action. But this has been their usual way of running the party. We on our side want to conduct congresses that are viable.”

The other faction in its reaction denied sidelining the nine other members of the state exco, saying no member of the exco is given any role to play in the wards congresses.

The state Secretary of the party, who spoke with Saturday Vanguard said all the nine aggrieved members of the state exco have either defected to either the ruling All Progressives Congress or the Social Democratic Party.

According to him, “they are far away, they are no more in the PDP. They are members of the APC and the SDP and if they want to come back, they should familiarise themselves with the guidelines of the PDP.”

Sodipo added that even neither the chairman nor the Secretary of the party in the state was given a role in the wards congresses.

“Those people that are talking know nothing. The guideline is clear, the guideline does not give organising secretary any work; even, as the secretary of the party in the state, I have no role to play.

“The National working committee would come and conduct the congresses,” he said.

Meanwhile, ahead of today’s state congress, five chieftains of Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta to restrain the Chief Adebayo Dayo-led executive from conducting or superintending the supervision of all the congresses in the state.

The PDP chieftains, who are claimants/applicants in an ex-parte application dated 18th April and brought before Justice Mobolaji Ojo, are Barrister Wasiu Sanni; Alhaja Nike Odutola; Mr Semiu Babatunde; Barrister Semiu Adesanya; and Elder Shola Soledolu.

The defendants in the suit number AB/121/2016 are: PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Dayo, and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo.

The claimants predicated their objection to the Dayo-led executive on the premise that the tenure of the executive lapsed on 27th February, this year, prompting the seeking of the order of the court to bar them from all the congress.

They also sought an order of the court directing the PDP national leadership to appoint state caretaker committee to conduct and supervise the congresses.

Part of the reliefs sought by the claimants also included an order directing the claimants and independent observers to record live proceedings of the congresses, as well as an order for substituted service of court processes on the defendants.

Justice Ojo, while ruling on the application April 18 as moved by counsel to the claimants, Chief W.O Liady, granted the prayers for substituted service and the service of PDP and INEC in Abuja, within seven days, while hearing on the motion on notice was fixed for May 3.