Southwest PDP Crisis Deepens As Caretaker Committee Suspends Chairman

Dayo Ogungbenro, of The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chairman Caretaker Committee of South West Zone has been suspended, for the dereliction of duty, saying he has ceased to function efficiently, due to his lack of calling and presiding over any meeting since his appointment.

Out of the twelve members in the Caretaker Committee, Seven of them who suspended the chairman, called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to elect another chairman, who will be active in his duties and diligently direct the affairs and conduct of the party in the zone pending the procedure of the zonal congress.

At the conclusion of its meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, the seven members; Zonal Secretary, Hon. Daisi Akintan, Mrs. Funmilayo Ogun, Hon. Ayobola Fadeyi- Awolowo, Prince Nekan Olateru- Olagbegi, Hon Wahab Owokoniran, Alhaji Mustapha Sikiru, and Hon. Martins Olu- Abiloye, maintained that on no account will they make their presence present at any meeting that will be chaired by the suspended chairman.

Also in attendance was Engr Adedeji Doherty, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele, Hon. Sunday Bisi and Chief Bisi Kolawole, Chairmen of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti States respectively.

They said; “The Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, had abdicated his responsibilities. He has not called any meeting since the Caretaker Committee was appointed, thus making the party lack direction.

“Even when we had elections in Ondo and Lagos States, the Chairman did not call any meeting to plan for the elections, hence the abysmal performance of the party.”

The meeting appointed Mr. Lere Olayinka as the spokesperson for the PDP in the southwest zone, to enable the active presence of effective media and publicity within the party.

Their existence in an opposition zone spurred the necessity for a spirited media and Olayinka’s feet fits the shoe.

On the reconciliation issue supposedly led by former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the meeting said the party is not aware of such an event.

“To the best of our knowledge, Prince Oyinlola only accepted to run a political errand for Governor Seyi Makinde, being a contractor in Oyo State. His so-called reconciliation committee is not only self-serving but represents personal interest and dead on arrival.

“As far as we are concerned, the former governor, having decamped from the APC, is alone because no one can be a judge in his case.”

The meeting instructed PDP members in the zone to ignore any meeting called by Prince Oyinlola and warned him to be careful of bringing APC divide and rule culture to the PDP.

They said the reconciliation and settlement committee set up for all other sundry issues in the party in the zone is led by Engr Femi Babalola, with Chief Kolapo Ogunjobi, Barrister Ahmed Okandeji Mustapha, Chief Idowu Odeyemi, and Chief Tunde Akindehin as members, while the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Diran Odeyemi, is the Secretary.

The zone has ordered the Babalola led reconciliation committee to work in alliance with the National Reconciliation Committee set up by the National Working Committee of the party.

In conclusion, the Caretaker Committee condemned, the killing of a chieftain of the PDP and former member of the House of Representatives, Fatai Aborode, in Oyo State and call for a full inquiry.