By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
The Adeleke Dynasty camp of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state is gradually getting divided against itself on the choice of the candidate to replace the suspended chairman of the party, Hon Soji Adagunodo.
It was gathered that currently, there are cracks in the Adeleke camp, as it could not reach a consensus on either of Messrs Sunday Bisi, the Spokesperson of the PDP and Ibukun Fadipe, former Chairman of Ilesa East Local Government as the anointed chairmanship candidate.
Besides, leaders of the PDP in Obokun and Oriade local governments of the state, where Adagunodo hails from, have insisted that anybody who is going to succeed the suspended chairman must come from that same constituency, a development that has set frustration in motion for the party.
“If at all Adagunodo is not going to be allowed to complete his tenure as the chairman of the party, his successor must be from Obokun or Oriade local government area, or our federal constituency (Ijesa North) and not from any other place in Osun East Senatorial District”, said the leaders.
But the Adeleke Dynasty camp, which has been enjoying the support of the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, was said to be considering the Obokun/Oriade PDP leaders’ position as a mere threat, insisting that Adagunodo’s successor would emerge from the camp; irrespective of which part of the state he hails from.
The camp had been considering Bisi and Fadipe who hail from Ilesa West and Ilesa East local governments respectively.
Deji Adeleke totally rejected IBK’s Chairmanship Ambition, Says He is Uneducated
According to three PDP chieftains at the meeting, “Adeleke, who was put on phone speaker during a meeting of the dynasty camp last Saturday in Ile-Ife, presided over by Prof. Wale Oladipo, said he could not support Fadipe because of his low level of education, just as he asked members of the camp to rally support for Bisi.”
Adeleke’s position infuriated Fadipe, who was at the meeting, as he reportedly interrupted the phone conversation and replied the businessman by saying ‘Chairman, I am disappointed in what you are saying. Your brother, who you are supporting for governorship race is also not educated.”
The billionaire businessman dropped the call after discovering that he was on speaker and his favoured candidate was not acceptable to members of the camp.
The meeting, according to the PDP chieftains, ended abruptly as a rowdy session erupted as a result of the Adeleke’s stance. Adeleke however expressed disgust about PDP that he expected that he should be treated like Tinubu of APC in the South West politics because according to him, “whenever Tinubu speaks, it becomes a law and nobody dares challenge his authority, not to talk of him now giving order only in Osun on who should be the Chairman of PDP in the state, again, this statement infuriated Hon. Ibukun Fadipe who told Deji Adeleke to mind his business saying “after all he has said he is not a card carrying member of PDP, if he wants to join politics like Tinubu, he should join the party join the party and play politics the way it is done.”
However, Bisi’s candidature was also rejected by members of the camp who believed that he could not rise from the spokesperson’s position to the chairmanship of the party when there are more qualified people within the fold.
Acting Chairman of the Party, Elder Sunday Atidade was also said to have opposed to Bisi’s chairmanship ambition on the ground that he could deputise somebody that had served under him.
Another ugly incident is an allegation that has been levelled one of the arrow heads of the Adeleke dynasty from Osogbo, Alhaji Fatai Diekola who has been accused of allegedly collecting the sum of N100m Dr. Deji Adeleke. However, Diekola was said to have denied it with a wave of hands, saying the whole money he ever received from the Adelekes was $10,000 and nothing more.
The matter, as at the time of filing this report has not been settled as members of the Adeleke Dynasty camp have divided along their varied interests.
Also, a strong member of the dynasty camp of the PDP, Revd Bunmi Jenyo had been denied the South-West zonal chairmanship nomination form by the National Secretariat of the party.
Jenyo, who had been fingered severally in the crisis rocking the PDP in Osun, was said to have gone to the National Secretariat of the party early this month but was told that he could not be given the form.
He was reportedly told all the forms for the zonal positions have been handed over to the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde who is the Leader of the party in the zone. The former South-West Secretary of the party has fallen out of favour with Makinde because of his political skimming which was considered as desperate moves.
National Secretariat Refuses To Set Up Panel To Probe Adagunodo, 3 Months After nearly three months after the suspension of Adagunodo as the Chairman of the party in the state, the National Secretariat of the PDP has refused to set up investigation panel to probe the allegations of malfeasance, maladministration and anti- party activities levelled against him.
Adagunodo was suspended on April 30, following a petition against him by some nameless members of the PDP.
The PDP asked Mr. Adagunodo to quit his position, pending the time full investigations into allegations against him will be concluded.
Atidate was appointed as Acting Chairman of the party for a three-month period, in line with the constitution of the party but no panel has been set up to probe the allegations against Adagunodo, almost three months after his suspension.
It was gathered that Atidade’s tenure might be extended, as no end is seen in sight on the crisis.
