Rather than abate, the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has continued to rage as the faction loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose on Friday suspended four members of the State Working Committee (SWC).
The faction loyal to Fayose is led by Idowu Faleye while the other faction that has 11 aggrieved SWC members is led by Tunde Olatunde who was appointed Acting Chairman when Faleye purportedly resigned in May.
The two factions have been locked in a bitter struggle for the soul of the party which culminated in a reported shooting incident at the state party secretariat on July 31.
The Faleye faction in a statement on Friday said those suspended include Olatunde, state PDP Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko; Women Leader, Mrs. Busola Oyebode and Auditor, Tunji Olanrewaju.
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They were accused of alleged involvement in anti-party activities by the disciplinary committee set up to investigate them.
The reconciliation committee from the PDP National Secretariat to resolve the crisis in Ekiti chapter is due in the state any moment from now but the latest action of the governor’s faction has added a fresh dimension to the imbroglio.
The statement read; “The State Executive Committee of Peoples Democratic Party Ekiti State met Friday August 10, 2015 to review the report of the disciplinary committee set up by the party to investigate the allegations of anti party activities leveled against some officers of the party and resolved as follows:
“That the Chief Idowu Faleye led Executive is the legally recognized Executive in Ekiti State as confirmed by the National Working Committee.
“SEC resolved to uphold the recommendation of the Panel on the expulsion of the following people from the party in line with the constitution of the party for their anti party activities; Dr Tope Aluko, Mr Tunde Olatunde, Mrs Busola Oyebode and Mr Tunji Olanrewaju.
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“SEC ratified the sustenance, nomination and /or appointment of the following as the State Working Committee of the party: Chairman, Chief Idowu Faleye, Deputy Chairman Nelson Shaba, Senatorial Chairman Ekiti North, Gbeyiro Sunday, Senatorial Chairman South, Alhaji Gani Bankole, and Senatorial Chairman Central , Mr Femi Ogunleye.
Others are the new Youth Leader, Ayo Ogungbuyi, Women Leader, Afolabi Yemisi Gloria,Treasurer, Hon Adeolu Aluko, Auditor , Mojeed Azees Apempe, Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, Legal, Olowolafe Ojo Sunday and Financial Secretary is Akutupu Afolayan.
It also passed vote of confidence in Fayose “for his efforts at moving the party forward in the state and the national level” also appointed a former chairman of the party, Chief Bola Olu-Ojo as the honorary adviser to Faleye.
Reacting to their suspension by the faction loyal to Fayose, Aluko described the action as a “huge joke, an affront on the party constitution and impunity of the highest order” saying they are not affected by what he called an “illegal action.”
Aluko who spoke in a telephone chat described Faleye and his backers as “jokers and jesters” expressing worry that the party is being ridiculed before Ekiti people and Nigerians by those bent on violating its constitution.
According to him, those “fomenting the crisis” are defectors from the Labour Party (LP) who don’t understand the philosophy, doctrine and manifesto of the PDP.
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Aluko also added that the timing of the action was intended to embarrass him as he was busy with the wedding of his daughter which holds on Saturday.
Aluko said: “These people cannot just come from the LP and start messing up our party.
“These hijackers that we didn’t know, I mean impostors talking about suspension are not known to the constitution of the PDP.
“So, this is impunity at the highest level and an affront to the party. Our tenure expires March 18, 2016. Somebody, somewhere must be illiterate.
“They came into this party few years ago, they should stop trampling on our constitution which stipulates how a member can become members of the SWC or be removed.
“Whoever that is pushing them must come out openly. Just look at the timing, I mean when I was about doing the wedding of my daughter Saturday, they took the illegal action. I am going to expose what is between us to the whole world,” Aluko threatened.
“They are jokers, this party is not for jesters, these people should stop toying with the future of the party, they should stop toying with the constitution of the party.
“Somebody somewhere must be a bloody illiterate, we brought them to the party three years ago, they must stop this impunity. Tell the whole world that we remain in our offices and the purported expulsion cannot stand.
“It violates the constitution of the party and it cannot stand. We were elected in March 2012 and our tenure ends in March 2016.”
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