Opinion
Osun PDP Renewed Crisis: Sunday Bisi’s and not Adagunodo or anybody’s fault – By Akin Adeyi
A new political drama played out in the Osun PDP on Friday, 24th December 2021 when critical stakeholders that includes the party’s four out of its six governorship aspirants led other major stakeholders in the party in a unanimous decision to announce Mr Wale Ojo, Barrister as the party’s new acting Chairman.
Prior his appointment Ojo was the Chairman Ife/Ijesha zonal constituency.
As of date, the Osun PDP have six aspirants vying for the party’s governorship ticket. They are;(in no particular order) Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Honorable Sanya Omirin, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Mr Dele Adeleke,Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and Omoba Dotun Babayemi.
However, on the said date four out of the six aspirants were part of the gathering which held at the party’s still contentious secretariat at King’s Square, Opposite Biket Junction,Osogbo. Those present were; Honorable Sanya Omirin, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi,Mr Dele Adeleke and Alhaji Fatai Akinbade. Though the convener claimed at the gathering that they duly invited Senator Ademola Adeleke and Prince Dotun Babayemi. The two gentlemen were not however present at the historical event where a unanimous decision to instal Wale Ojo as acting party Chairman was taken. As at the time of making this comment no official or unofficial reason(s) have been given for their respective absences at the important event.
To install Wale Ojo the party leaders and elders also some State Working Committee members, party wards and local government chairmen had sufficiently relied on the dictate of the party constitution. The PDP Constitution in Section 45(2) expressly state that ; “In a case of the National Chairman, he shall hand-over to the Deputy National Chairman from his own region/part of the Country who SHALL, without prejudice to section 47(6) of this constitution (PDP),act as National Chairman pending the election of a replacement, This section of the constitution applied during the case of Prince Uche Secondus, the former National Chairman of the party. Immediately after Secondus was removed, Chief Akinwonmi the Deputy National Chairman (South) from Prince Uche Secondus region was installed as the Acting National Chairman of PDP to serve out the balance of Secondus tenure as chairman and there was no fuss.
Whereas, Section 45(4) says, this provision SHALL apply to other levels of the party structures. See pages 83/84 of PDP Constitution.
Although and in truth, the former Chairman, Hon Olasoji Adagunodo resigned his appointment as the Chairman Osun chapter of the party on 6th day of December, 2021. His resignation letter was duly acknowledged by the party’s zonal and National organs before he was subsequently sworn as National Vice Chairman, South West.
Sunday Bisi as his own albatross
Whereas a group which prides itself as Osun PDP Rescue Groups have not only blamed but called for His Excellency, Soji Adagunodo’s resignation as National Vice Chairman S/W.. The group which some party fateful described as faceless and officially unknown to the party just like the one that called itself The Rebuilders before had given Adagunodo a seven day ultimatum to resign his appointment.
The group fingered the former party State Chairman as the brain behind their current travails and woes that betide the Sunday Bisi and Ademola Adeleke’s camp. But many people will not agree with the group’s position. In stead they blamed Bisi for whatever calamity he caused for himself through his rapacious, reckless bias and unguarded and completely lacking in strategy preference for Ademola Adeleke above other aspirants. Bisi, it will be recalled, has on several occasion and in a manner unbecoming of a party chairman openly led in canvassing support of party members and the public for Ademola. Viral videos have shown Bisi, a supposed party Chairman, decked in Ademola’s branded caps and shirts at the group’s organised events. Not this alone, Sunday have been seen in videos making strong statements to promote and support Ademola above other aspirants. What about his throw of tantrums at other aspirants and in a way that made the party members to conclude he was but a group Chairman. Probably this was why his calls to other aspirants for payment of N7.5 million to the state chapter of the party was rebuffed. The same fate befell his summons to meeting of all aspirants. They will never attend. He lost all trusts and confidence of party members at his own volition and carelessness. To worsen his plight was in his continuous keep as party secretariat also his operating as party Chairman from the Adeleke’s family acquired property at same Biket Junction with the actual party secretariat that all stakeholders contributed their money to secure.
Osun PDP renewed crisis….Akin Adeyi, Ayeniromo Orunogbeke….. blame Sunday Bisi and not Adagunodo.
28/12/2021