*we did not notice any parallel congress, Committee Chairman insists
By; BBAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Saturday Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) ward congress in Oyo State was on Saturday marred with holding of parallel congresses across the state by the Omituntun and the Mainstream PDP stakeholders factions.
But the PDP Ward Congress Committee Chairman who is the Deputy Governor Office Edo State, Hon. Philip Shaibu, in his reaction said the Committee did not notice any parallel congress in the state.
New Nigerian learnt that as early as 8.30am, leaders and members of the two factions stormed some of the designated venue of the ward congresses for their separate congresses.
In most of the designated venue in Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Saki Eruwa, Oyo township, the two factions members were seen grouping separately chanting PDP slogan to the admiration of their loyalists.
At about 10.30am, nearly all the two factions have completed the ward congresses with the mainstream PDP stakeholders and the Omituntun faction of the party claiming to conduct authentic congresses.
In Ogbomoso North local government area of the state, a leader the mainstream PDP stakeholders, held its ward 6 congress at Isale Ora with the former House of Representatives leader, Honourable Mulikat Adeola in attendant.
Honourable Mulikat Adeola while speaking on the Ogbomoso North ward 6 congress said the Mainstream PDP stakeholders faction held its parallel congress for the ward at Isale Ora.
According to Honourable Adeola, the congress was peaceful and supervised by the necessary agencies and bodies including the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) and the security agencies.
Our investigation revealed that the situation was similar in most of the 351 wards across the 33 local government areas of the state as there were cases of parallel congresses in most of the wards .
One of the leader in mainstream PDP stakeholders, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeniyan in a statement blamed the parallel congresses on what he called the inability of Gov Makinde to ” organize a peaceful ward Congress in Oyo State”, adding, “it is embarrassing to our party, just only Ward Congress”
Alhaji Olopoeniyan in the statement also alleged the Omituntun faction of using suspected political thugs to trail leaders and members of the mainstream PDP stakeholders especially in Ibadan.
According to him, some of the suspected political thugs reportedly “came on a suspicious visit to his Bashorun residence early this morning.(Saturday), and that the suspected political thugs ” were as well ordered to monitor his movement throughout the period of the congress, having visited his Ward at Beyerunka area of Ibadan Northeast local government this morning.”
PDP Publicity Secretary in Oyo state, Engineer Akeem Olatunji while speaking with the New Nigerian declared that there was nothing like parallel ward congresses in any of the 351 wards across the state as claimed by the mainstream PDP stakeholders faction and that only the ward congresses held at designated venue across the state stands remains the authentic
The Chairman, PDP Ward Congress Committee for Oyo state, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Honourable. Philip Shaibu hinted that the Committee did not notice any parallel congress in the state.
Honourable Shaibu emphasized that the ward congresses in Oyo State have been “so peaceful.”
