From Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, on Thursday shut down the secretariat of the party located along Ajilosun Street, Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The operation which lasted for one hour was led by a member of the state caucus and former Secretary of the party in the State, Dr.Tope Aluko and other party stalwarts who chased some officials and workers in the office out and locked up the office.
Speaking with Journalists shortly after the operation, Aluko alleged that some notable members of the party allegedly carried out some nefarious activities by withdrawing money belonging to the party in the bank.
He explained that some concerned members of the party in the state decided to carry out the lock up operation in order to save the party from going into extinction and prepare the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“We are here today to lock up the party secretariat, not because of anything, but because of some nefarious and fraudulent activities among our members, after the exit of our leader, Dr Ayodele Fayose, we found out that the National Working Committee (NWC) has not been responsible to the issues on ground.
For example, there has been series of attack on the party secretariat in the last fourteen days based on the allegation of manipulations of primaries and delegates list. Not only that, recently we found out that they have sold out the only party secretariat built by the former Governor Ayo Fayose.
“The building was sold three hundred and three million naira, we have the details, again this morning we discovered that out of our balance in the bank, they have withdrawn fifty percent of the money, we don’t know why they are doing this.
“They wrote the cheque in their individual names, I don’t know if they withdrew the money on the instruction of any of the leaders, that is why we the concerned members were here this morning to lock up the party secretariat, though, the leadership of the party would find solution soon, to this problem”
The PDP chieftain, who expressed the readiness of the party to win any future elections in the state, including the 2019 presidential election, noted that leaders of the party in the state are battle ready to launch the campaign of the party ahead of the election.
He equally expressed optimism that the leaders of the party in Ekiti state would intervene in the matter and ensure that the activities of some members who do not have the interest of the party at heart do not affect the chances of the party in the 2019 general elections.
But in his reaction to the matter, PDP spokesman in the state, Jackson Adebayo, queried Aluko’s action, saying “what concerns Tope Aluko in the running of affairs of our party.
“As far as I’m concerned, Tope Aluko is an expelled member of our party and he does not have moral stand and he’s not qualified to query, question, or throw a challenge on how our party in Ekiti is being run,”Adebayo stated.
As at the time of filing this report, the PDP secretariat located at Ajilosun in Ado-Ekiti is under lock and key put in place by Aluko, until further directives from the leaders, while the police has taken over to prevent possible breakdown of law and order following the report of the case by Aluko.
