BY DAYO JOHNSON

AKURE-FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has waded into the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State.

Obasanjo who is the Chairman of PDP’s Board of Trustee, BOT, reportedly directed the party to democratize the leadership of the party at the state level.

The crisis in the party was occasioned by the purported suspension of the former Defence Minister, Tokunbo Kayode, SAN, and the list of 10 leaders of the party sent to President Goodluck Jonathan for political appointments.

Reacting, a group opposed to the suspension of  Prince Kayode and the list, also announced  the suspension of the former governor Olusegun Agagu and sack of the Dr. Tayo Dairo-led state Executive Committee.

However,  at a meeting with the Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the party led by Prof Olu Agbi, the former President advised that all factions should sheath their swords.

According to the Publicity Secretary of the IMC, Prince Mike Omogbehin in Akure, the former president said the party should  hold a congress to elect its leaders and not foist leadership on members of the party.

Omogbehin in a statement said “at its meeting of Saturday, the IMC designed a model that would suit Ondo State and approved the convening of a stakeholders meeting for Thursday June 16th, 2011. The meeting which will hold in Akure and will comprise 20 leaders from each local government area, as well as all immediate past National and State Assembly members.

Omogbehin, said that in order to ensure the success of the meeting, the IMC set up a task force headed by Prof Olu Agbi who is the Chairman of IMC