Victor Akinkuolie ,Ado-Ekiti

The Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Biodun Olujimi, has given an assurance that the crisis rocking the major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be settled amicably in no distant time.

Olujimi, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, also appealed to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and others whom she described as aggrieved governors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace over their consistent pressing for the removal of the Party’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Olujimi, who praised Wike and other governors for trying to instil justice , equity and fairness in the party, said the PDP may run into constitutional crisis if Ayu is removed based on structures recognised by the party’s constitution.

On her re-election in 2023, Olujimi enthused that he would defeat his rival and member of the House of Representatives, Yemi Adaramodu, despite enjoying strong backings from the Federal and State Governments, as she did in 2019, when he defeated Dayo Adeyeye of the All Progressives Congress. 

Olujimi spoke in Ado- Ekiti during an interactive session with newsmen on the snowballing crisis and pressure on the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to back Ayu’s removal for a chairman of Southern extraction to be emplaced in the National Working Committee.

On the crisis pummeling the party, Olujimi said Wike and other governors are true lovers of the PDP, but pleaded that the festering internal upheaval could emasculate the PDP and deprive it of victory in 2023.

Olujimi said; “Political parties are like families and there is nothing you can do without bruising each other. We have a lot of internal crisis caused by ego bruising. I believe we are working on it. Despite that we have problems, the party is working . We are meeting with the people that are yearning for our return to government. We are working hard to ensure that the right things are done.

“We can’t go to the extent of destroying the house we have built. I am optimistic that we will achieve our set goals .The people  who are agitating may be right, because the agreement is that, when a candidate of Northern extraction emerges as presidential candidate, it will be wrong to retain the Chairman in the North . But we didn’t think through our constitution.

“If we remove the Chairman, the Deputy National Chairman(North) will still take over. The governors that are agitating are fighting for justice and equity. But there is a school of thought that believed that the south had done 14 years of presidency in the PDP and North had only done two.

“We are finding a middle course and that is what is going on now. There is nothing wrong in looking at all these issues.

“I want to beg Governor Wike, who is the leader of the group, he is fighting for all of us, he is fighting for my zone, but let him allow a middle course, so that we can  work towards our common goal, it is not about him. He is a good party man , he loves the PDP, but we should allow peace to reign”.

“Our people should learn how to return their federal lawmakers for them to be abreast of the happenings at the Senate. The benefits these experienced Senators do to their constituencies are unquantifiable because they know how to do it. This is essential for development and that was why the constitution didn’t restrict the number of terms a senator can spend, that is  wisdom”.

Olujimi expressed readiness to work with the new Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji to uplift the state in all spheres.

She said ; “What I saw in Oyebanji rekindled my hope that Ekiti can make it. He had met with the National Assembly members and said this is not about party, but how to take Ekiti out of the doldrums. He said he welcomes our contributions, and I am ready to support him, it is about project Ekiti.”