PDP inaugurates expanded Ekiti State Caretaker Committee

By Tunde Opalana

Members of the expanded caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State were on Wednesday inaugurated at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja

This followed the approval of nominated members by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The NWC had on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), pursuant to Sections 29(2)(b) and 31(2)(e) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), approved the expansion of the Ekiti State Caretaker Committee.

Deputy National Chairman (North), Ambassador Ilya Damagum who stood in for the national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu lamented that the worst outing of PDP in the recent governorship election in Ekiti state was as a result of crisis that has bedevilled the party.

He said “Ekiti has always been a PDP state, you have been resilient, and from what we see during the presidential campaign, we know that Ekiti is still PDP. That gave us the courage to sit down and say we have to get things right.

“How do we do this thing? Is to be able to dissolve that executive that has always been in one crisis or the other and give a new life to the party by constituting a Caretaker Committee, which will give us a brand-new executive, that will be all inclusive.

“First of all, I believe you must have been selected from wherever you come from, because you have distinguished yourselves in the activities of this party and we know you have the capacity and the capability to drive this party to where we are expecting.”

Charging the new executive members ahead of the 2023 polls, Damagum said “mind you we are in an election year. In the next few days, we’ll have our first election which is the election of the President and National Assembly member followed by the State Assembly election because you don’t have gubernatorial election in Ekiti.

“I will want to urge you to bring all and sundry to come together to work assiduously for the benefit of winning this election in Ekiti and I believe, if you do the right thing, we’ll be able to come out victorious. So you have a daunting task before you.”

He charged stakeholders in Ekiti to give the executive all the cooperation that is needed to help them achieve, saying ” I believe this has always been what you wanted to have, one united party and we are giving you that opportunity now. The responsibility is rest on you to make sure that you cash on this opportunity to reclaim your party back, to rebuild this party in order to give you the desired victories that is expected.”

Responding the chairman of the Ekiti State Caretaker Committee, Arch. Sadiq Obanoyen said the committee will take up the assignment as a challenge knowing fully that they have an enormous task on their hands.

With the support of party leafers at national and zonal levels, he said the task of reconciling and unite members ahead of the coming election can be accomplished.

“Leaders of our party, we will hold our inaugural meeting today and we will take that as the blast of the whistle and we will do all that is needful to ensure that our people are united and for the singular purposes of delivering Ekiti once again as a PDP state.

“I believe that with your support, galvanizing all the resources that we have within the tenets of all the people that you have put together, we believe that Ekiti state will be delivered.

“Be rest assured that you have sent us on an errand and we will deliver. By the grace of God we will deliver in Nigeria, in Ekiti state and we will bring our scorecard,” he said.

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The Members of the Expanded Ekiti State PDP Caretaker Committee are; Arch. Sadiq Obanoyen, Chairman, Hon. Ojoade Fajana, member, Chief Mrs Adijat Eniola Balogun, member, Hon. Oladimeji Joshua Ayodele, member, Chief Boboye Adekunle, member, Hajia Lawal Idayat Tosin, member, Comrade Waliu Olawole Oladipupo, member, Erelu Toyin Olumilua Mark, member and Dr. Alade Beatrice Modupe, member.

Others are; Aare Temitope Amerijoye member, Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye, member, Olugbenga Adewole, – member, Hon Ajibola Samuel and Barr. Dosu Babatunde, member/Secretary

The NWC urged all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party in Ekiti State to continue to work together and remain focused on the task ahead.