By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
Strong indications have emerged that the Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be embroiled in sharp division following the appointment of Engineer Alaba Agboola,l as the substantive chairman of the party in the state.
Engr Agboola,from Ijero-Ekiti is now replacing the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, who resigned as the State Chairman to contest the governorship.
Appointment of Engr Agboola as the substantive State Chairman, was among the resolutions at the State Executive Committee meeting held in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.
A statement by the deputy chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Lanre Omolase, who has been acting as chairman and state Secretary, Mrs. Funmi Ogun reads;
“At the Exco meeting of the PDP, Ekiti State, which held at the State Secretariat of the Party, at the instance of the Chairman (Acting) – Hon. Lanre Omolase, on Monday, 4th July, 2022, the quorum at attendance being over and above one-third of the total membership of the Exco, deliberated on the need to appoint a substantive chairman for our party, in accordance with the party’s constitution.
“Article 47(6) of the Constitution of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party, provides that: ‘Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.’
“Accordingly and in view of the resignation of our erstwhile Party Chairman Hon Bisi Kolawole, who became our party flagbearer at the recent Ekiti State Governorship Election, the State executive committee members present deliberated on an appropriate and capable stalwart from the same zone as our erstwhile Chairman and unanimously appointed Hon. Alaba Agboola as substantive Chairman, to serve out the remainder of the tenure of our said erstwhile Chairman.
“It was also resolved that Hon. Lanre Omolase, the Chairman (Acting), should revert to his elected post as the Deputy Chairman of our party, PDP, Ekiti State, while the National officials of our great party, corporate organizations, as well as our teeming party members and the general public be immediately notified of the appointment of our new substantive Party Chairman.”
It should be recalled that Engr Agboola, was the Chairman of the Repositioning Group, a group in the Ekiti State PDP led by Senator Biodun Olujimi.
But countering the emergence of Engr. Alaba Agboola’s Chairmanship,the State Executive Committee, (SEC) of the party has also ratified the appointment of the former Chairman, Ado-Ekiti Local Government and former 2018 Deputy Governorship Candidate of the party, Hon. Deji Ogunsakin as the New State Chairman of PDP.
The party announced the appointment at its meeting in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.
The State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Hon. Raphael’ Wumi Adeyanju in a statement made available to journalists yesterday said that, the appointment is in line with section 47, 6 of the party constitution which states that, “where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from, to serve out the tenure of the officer”.
The New Chairman Hon. Deji Ogunsakin is from the same Central Senatorial District as the former Chairman, Hon. Bisi Kolawole who resigned from the position on 23rd, Sept 2021.
The ratification by SEC was Sequel to the nomination by 10 out of 12 members of SEC from the Central Senatorial District.
