All is not well with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State as tension and despair have gripped the party over the delegates’ list for its gubernatorial primary which is now being touted as fake.
Party sources revealed to The Hope last night that a postponement of the primary scheduled for Wednesday July 22, 2020 is being considered to save the party from disintegration.
Seven out of the eight aspirants cleared to contest the primary scheduled for next Wednesday have rejected the list which they claimed have been doctored and called for thorough investigation into the matter.
Those who kicked against the list, it was gathered include Bode Ayorinde, Sola Ebiseni, Eyitayo Jegede, Kunlere Boluwaji, Banji Okunomo, Eddy Olafeso and Gooday Erewa.
The state deputy governor, Alfred Agboola Ajayi who was alleged to have been the brain behind the doctored list was absent at the meeting conveyed to discuss the allegation.
The aspirants, party elders and members of the Clement Faboyede-led executive caretaker committee alleged that 101 names of fake delegates were found in the rejected list
Faboyede while speaking before a three-man panel headed by a former governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwabo claimed that he was ambushed by the Secretary of the ward delegates’ screening committee
Mr. Eyiyayo Jegede said the aspirants have sent a joint petition protesting the doctoring of the adhoc delegate list to the party, noting that between Akure and Abuja somebody somewhere went and changed 101 names who ordinarily were not adhoc delegates that emerged from the field and prepared a new book signed by him.”
Jegede lauded the leadership of the party, both at the national and state levels, “for not allowing any negative influence in the run-up to the governorship primary election.”
Another aspirant, Mr. Banji Okunomo alleged that one of the governorship aspirants was found to be the brain behind the doctoring of the initial delegates’ list.
“This aspirant, who is new in our party and trying to destabilise the party, should be suspended immediately; as we can’t move on with such a character.
“In addition, the aspirant should be disqualified from contesting in the primary election because he will be a bad influence in a political party that cherishes good name and integrity,” he demanded.
One of the aspirants, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said the joint petition written to the national secretariat of the party by the aspirants was already being attended to.
He expressed his belief that all the issues raised by the aspirants would be looked into, and that the national leadership of the party would live up to the expectations of members.
A former council chairman and PDP chieftain from Okitipupa, Mr. Bitire Solomon, said the list being paraded would be rejected before the primary election scheduled for next week.
Bitire insisted that Agboola Ajayi must be disqualified for allegedly injecting 101 fake delegates into the ad hoc delegates’ list in collusion with Chinda.
He said: “Three days ago, while the electoral panel was collating the results of the ad-hoc delegates congresses, there were protests by members, who chanted war songs and cursed Ajayi and Chinda at the front of Heritage Hotel in Akure, after information filtered in that both were tampering with the delegates’ list.
“Suddenly after the protests, members of the panel disappeared and later converged on a hotel in Lagos to hatch the plot.
“As we speak, over 101 names have been injected into the ad hoc delegates’ list ahead of the PDP primaries by Ajayi and Chinda.
“We are here to call on the leadership of the party to apprehend Chinda and disqualify the deputy governor for fraudulently manipulating the delegates’ list.”
A member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) told journalists in Akure that the report of Dankwanbo panel would determine if those indicted would be sanctioned.
The NWC member said the protest against the list was shocking and disappointing.
According to him: “The NWC of the party is very serious about ensuring that the PDP takes over Ondo State from the ruling APC and would do anything to ensure that the unity and stability of the party is kept safe especially as the governorship election draws nearer.
“The issue on ground is whether the Deputy Governor will not cause disaffection in the party and kill the confidence the people of the state and members of the PDP have in the party.
“The NWC is thinking about postponing the primary election. This will afford the party time to diligently work on the delegates list and settle the seemingly crisis that has emanated from the doctored list.”
Senator Nicholas Tofowomo representing Ondo South has said any governorship aspirant attempting to steal the mandate of the people by substituting the names of legitimate delegates of the party should be suspended from the party without any delay.
South West Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Ayo Fadaka, said the act of replacing delegate’s names has never happened in the PDP before.
He said leaders of the party in the state are united to ensure that the doctored delegate list is corrected and the original names returned.
But the Deputy Governor, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Allen Sowore, blamed his travails on his political adversaries within the PDP and APC, who have intensified efforts through sponsored media attacks to smear his reputation since he moved from the ruling APC to the PDP.
His words: “Some PDP aspirants, who are being sponsored by the Ondo State Government to obtain forms just to undermine the capacity of the opposition party in its bid to take over the reins of government, have suddenly realized that it’s not going to be business as usual.