—- Ward congress split party into factions

—Says directive to return old executives flouted by gov

By Dayo Johnson Akure

The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu PBAT Mandate Elders Forum in Ondo state, has warned that the lingering disputes arising from the recent ward congresses in the state could threaten party cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They equally accused the state leadership of sidelining party elders and fostering division through what it described as controversial ward congresses in the state.

Addressing newsmen after the group’s monthly meeting, its facilitator in the state, Hon. Ademola Ijabiyi, said the elders had formally petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the conduct of the congresses.

Ijabiyi who expressed the confidence that the intervention of President Tinubu, would prevent a permanent split within the party, stressing that any development capable of undermining Tinubu victory in 2027 must be addressed.

While saying that the meeting was convened primarily to advance President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, the facilitator added that “we are here to advance the cause of Tinubu’s re-election. Anything that can affect it, we have to address.

According to him “We cannot ignore what happened in our ward congresses where we have parallel congresses in most wards,”

Ijabiyi said that the elders had earlier written a memo to the President as the national leader of the party, urging him to redress the situation in Ondo State.

He lamented that the ward congresses were organised without the input of party elders.

The group leader alleged that aides of the governor, including commissioners and special assistants, were used to compile fresh lists of ward executives.

“It is like imposing people on us as leaders, and we are not happy about it.

“The instruction from the national headquarters was that we should return the existing executives, subject to necessary modifications. But what we saw was the preparation of fresh lists.

Ijabiyi maintained that until the congress, the elders were unaware of any visible division within the party, despite rumours of a rift between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo.

He declared that “Both of them never admitted to any crisis. If you ask the governor, he will say there is no problem. If you ask the minister, he will say the same thing. So, we had no basis to wade into rumours,”

He noted that the ward congress exposed what he described as an existing divide in the party, splitting members into factions allegedly aligned with the governor and other party leaders.

The elders also alleged that some of its members were physically assaulted during a meeting at the party secretariat ahead of the congress.

“We went there innocently to meet those coming to conduct the congress, only to be beaten and driven away.

” After we were forced out, the governor came back to hold his own meeting with his people. That suggests we are not considered part of him,”

Ijabiyi insisted that the congress conducted by the elders, which returned the old executives in line with what he said was the directive from the party’s national headquarters, remained valid.

He declared that “As far as we are concerned, the congress we conducted is legitimate. If there is any parallel exercise, it is left for Abuja to decide.