Stakeholders seek Arapaja’s intervention in Ekiti PDP crisis

By Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti

Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have appealed to the Taofeek Arapaja-led South-West chapter to urgently intervene in the unresolved crisis over the party’s 2020 congresses in the state.

The PDP leaders said the aftermath of the congresses, which they alleged were manipulated, had factionalised the party into Osoko Political Assembly (OPA) led by former Governor Ayo Fayose and collegiately led Ekiti PDP Repositioning Movement.

The leaders under the auspices of Ekiti PDP Repositioning Movement made the appeal in a petition dated June 23 to Arapaja titled “Need for immediate intervention in unresolved dispute over the Ekiti State congresses of 2020”.

The group, in the petition by Senator Biodun Olujimi; Senator Duro Faseyi and former Deputy Governor, Dr Sikiru Lawal, said the lingering crisis posed a threat to the party’s success in the forthcoming governorship poll.

Other signatories are ex-Acting Governor Tunji Odeyemi; Otunba Yinka Akerele; former PDP Southwest Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe; former PDP State Chairman Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase and former National Assembly member, Kehinde Odebunmi.

The group said it was pertinent for the Southwest leadership of the party to intervene in the crisis to avert replay of the incident that befell the All Progressives Congress in Zamfara, where the party’s victory in the 2019 election was nullified over irregular primaries.

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The group wished Arapaja and his team members success in the assignment to deliver the Southwest states for the PDP in the coming elections, insisting it was necessary to resolve the issues in the party, preparatory to winning the 2022 governorship election and other polls.

They said: “We hereby appeal for your prompt intervention to save us from calamity similar to that of Zamfara State APC should the National Working Committee fail to do the needful soonest. Ekiti State’s governorship election’s timetable has just been released by the Independent National Electoral Commission”.

Among issues which the group wants Arapaja-led Southwest PDP to consider were the “manipulated ward congresses of March 7, 2020 which is still pending before the Supreme Court and the local government and state congresses which the monitoring authority, INEC, has disclaimed for not taking part in the said congresses”.

According to them, “all efforts to make the leadership of the party treat the matter with truth and fairness have so far not yielded positive results”.