Ogun PDP crisis deepens as 2 chairmen, others emerge at congress

The crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Saturday, September 28, 2024, as the party produced two state chairmen and other state executive members.

While the group loyal to the 2023 governorship candidate of the party, Ladi Adebutu, which gathered at the Abeokuta Sports Club produced Abayomi Tella as state chairman, the coalition led by a governorship aspirant, Jimi Adebisi Lawal, Deputy Governorship candidate Abdulkadir Adekunle Akinlade, and the immediate past state chairman, Dr Sikirulai Ogundele, which held its congress at the NeuGate Exclusive Hall, Agbeloba in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, produced Dr Sikirulai Ogundele as the state chairman.

While the Ladi group had Sunday Solarin as the state secretary, the Lawal-led group produced Salisu Abdulwaheed Oloruntola as the state secretary.

Both Ogundele and Solarin were the immediate past state chairman and state secretary, respectively. However, they now belong to opposing camps.

Also, while a journalist, Austin Oniyokor, emerged as the state publicity secretary at the congress held by the Lawal group, the Adebutu group had Adebayo Kayode, an architect, as its publicity secretary.

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The same situation applies to the other 36 state executive positions that make up the elected state executive officers.

This development is coming on the heels of the dispute that has dogged the ward and local government congresses held on August 31 and September 14, 2024, in the build-up to the state congress.

The party held parallel ward and local government congresses across the 236 wards and 20 local government areas.

In Ogun State, there are two major factions. The one led by Adebutu and the coalition led by the trio of Lawal, Akinlade, and Ogundele.

It was gathered that in all the wards and LGAs, two sets of executives emerged for the 17 ward Exco positions in all 236 wards and the 18 available Exco positions in each of the 20 local government areas

The foundation for the parallel congress was said to have been laid by the alleged refusal to use the registers authenticated by the national leadership of the party for the ward congress which is in favour of the Lawal-led group.

The Star