From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A socio-political group, PDP Support Group, has accused former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, of planning to impose the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2018 governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on the party again.
A statement signed and made available to Daily Sun by the Coordinator of the group, Apesin-Abiodun Adegoke, urged the National Secretariat of the party to checkmate Saraki on the purported move, saying the attempt may destroy the party.
The group alleged that Senator Saraki is riding on the relationship with the elder brother of Adeleke, Dr Deji Adeleke, to achieve the purported move ahead of the primary election of the party.
It, however, appealed to the Iyorcha Ayu-led National Working Committee to allow the party structure already in place since 2018 to conduct the primary election.
“The National Secretariat should stop Senator Bukola Saraki and his serialized attempts to subtly impose Senator Ademola Adeleke on the majority of Osun PDP critical stakeholders.
“Osun PDP wants to put it on record before the NWC that under the extant laws of the party, only the elected State Chairman and Executives that came into being upon their inauguration on March 25, 2018, which tenure is guaranteed and certain for 4 years will expire on March 25, 2022, that has the constitutional powers and legal right/backing to conduct the Ward Congress and 3 Ad-Hoc delegates which they duly conducted on September 25 & 27, 2021.
“We, therefore, advise that no other faction should be given any recognition unless we want to destroy the party completely and allow the ruling party, the APC, to strive in their failure of governance of the country.
“No group in Osun should be allowed to host or transport any Ad-Hoc, congress, or primary election, on Committees, the national headquarters of PDP should bring neutral and credible characters that have no affiliation with either of the groups and their names should be in public.
“Senator Saraki should face the problems governance PDP in Kwara and leave us alone in Osun State. He should not use his ambition and personal interest to scuttle the gradual peace process that is ongoing in Osun state”, the statement added.
The former National Deputy Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, said the group is just hibernating on the PDP, working for the All Progressives Congress and should be disregarded.
He said, “the author of the statement is representing a group working for operating in the PDP. Who is he? What is his status in Osun PDP? The group has a client and we know them. No one should blackmail our leaders. People should disregard his claim.”
