KEHINDE ADEWOLE, Ado-Ekiti
The crisis rocking the Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday deepened as two principal executive members lock horns again over the soul of the party.
While the party’s legal officer, Sunday Olowolafe has urged the National Working Committee and members of the party to urgently remove the state chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, the chairman has accused him ( Olowolafe) of soiling his hands with certain sins against the party.
In a release made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, on Wednesday, Olowolafe said that it was high time Oguntuase was shown the way out of his office before he wreaked irreparable havoc on the party; he said: “Once again, l call on all PDP faithful particularly the National Working Committee to call the PDP chairman in Ekiti State to order before he finally sinks the ship of the party whilst nearer to its harbour owing to his unfortunate and unreasonable behaviours.
“Despite wise counsel by State Working Committee and many other stakeholders, his activities in the recent time fuelling and fanning the ember of discord is of growing concern.
“His avarice for a pot of soup, nepotism, ill- decisions and unbridled public statement are fast wreaking havoc within the party key players.
“Rather than bridging the gap to allow for all-inclusive participation in party activities, strategically administering the party in more sensitive ways that will lead to success in future elections even after the current tenure ends, he prefers holding nocturnal and sectional meetings resulting to back lift of the party progress.
“He threatens, unilaterally sanctions, causes disaffection amongst party hierarchy, breaches the tenet of true democracy and dents the party image at all material time.
“As a law-abiding citizen and minister in the temple of justice, it is forbidden that I will be part of illegality and action that will constitute a threat to peaceful co-existence amongst the citizenry,” he said.”‘
Reacting, Oguntuase said: “ Olowolafe is on his own. He is acting because we are about to reveal the criminality for which he and some members of the party have committed. I am not bothered about what he says. Today, we have carried out instructions in furtherance to the directive of the National Working Committee. Already, he has done a protest to the Commissioner of Police acting under instructions from his boss. I don’t want to join issues with these people. I am still the state chairman of the party; I will not join issues with them because they remain my people. If they want to repent let them repent.
“People who wage war against the holy one of Israel end up in perdition. Ten members of the SWC are with me at the rally today, but he has estranged himself not from me alone but from other members of SWC and he is doing all these things to cover up his misdeed and the misdeeds of his cohort. God is more than able to uncover their evil plot. How can a lawyer be telling lies?
“He said that we organised a protest today to remove a local government party chairman; do I need a protest to remove a chairman, something I can do by word of the mouth? But in their hazardous struggle, they keep lying all over the place. He is a young man who does not know that his profession and career deserve trust, honesty and integrity. He thinks he can rise by destroying the work of others, let him go ahead. We are more than able to destroy his evil plot and that of his master.”
It was learnt that there are two factions of the executives in the state currently: Olowolafe, and others remain a loyalist of ex-Governror Ayo Fayose , while Oguntuase and his caucus have since been romancing Senator Biodum Olujimi who is on a warpath with Fayose for the soul of the party in the state.