Ogun PDP holds 3 parallel congresses

The Ogun State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, held its State Congress with the three factions of the party electing their State Executives each.

It could be recalled that the crisis rocking PDP in Ogun State, worsened as three factions held parallel congresses across the 20 Local Government Areas and the 236 wards in the state.

The exercise which took the same pattern at the ward and local government congresses, were conducted by three factions.

The three factions, which conducted the congresses at separate locations in the state capital, were led by the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Buruji Kashamu; former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and a member of House of Representatives, Ladi Adebutu, respectively.

The Adebutu faction held its own State Congress at the famous Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Kashamu faction held its own at the PDP secretariat, which was directly opposite Hon. Adebutu faction at the Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta.

The former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole held its own congress at the Centenary hall, at Ake Abeokuta.

The congresses were, however, peaceful in spite of the separate exercises where different sets of new leaders emerged at the various locations.

Some of the new executives, expressed regrets at the development and called on the national body to wade into the crisis and re-unite the three factions.

All the three factions, however, claimed to be the authentic one.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Congress Committee for Ogun State, Alhaji Mohammed Al-Yakub, however, denied knowledge of the parallel congresses, saying that he was only aware of the congress going at the PDP secretariat.

Al-Yakub, who said the exercise was smooth and peaceful, added that: “I am not aware of any parallel congress in Ogun because we all, the eleven members are here at the PDP secretariat, venue of the State congress.”

His words: “Like I said in the previous congresses we have been having, this one too is hitch free, there is no rancour, there is no fighting and everything went as planned, and this is confirming that 2019, PDP will surely come back to power in the State and Nigeria as this crop of leaders elected will surely pilot the Party to victory in 2019”.

He assured that the Party is going to be repositioned as those who were aggrieved will surely return to the Party.

He said his committee had complied with the guidelines of the congress and therefore there is no basis for anybody to be aggrieved.

Two of the elected factional chairmen are Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele and Chief Bayo Dayo.