Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party remains strong and intact in the state despite the defection of Governor Ademola Adeleke to the Accord Party.
Oyinlola made the assertion on Thursday during a PDP stakeholders’ meeting held in Osogbo.
The meeting was attended by the party’s caretaker Chairman and Secretary in the state, Tunde Tijani and Seyi Bamidele, respectively. Also present were former Secretary to the State Government, Fatai Akinbade, and ex-PDP South-West Vice Chairman, Taju Oladipo. However, all serving elected and appointed public office holders in the state were absent.
Addressing party members drawn from the 30 local government areas and the Ife East Area Office, Oyinlola said the gathering was convened to clarify the situation of the party at both national and state levels.
He noted that conflicting narratives had been circulating about the status of the PDP in Osun, adding that the leadership deemed it necessary to properly inform members across wards and local governments about the true position of the party.
Dismissing claims that the PDP had collapsed its structure into the Accord Party to back Adeleke’s future governorship ambition, Oyinlola insisted that the party remained firmly rooted.
“The PDP has structures across the country. We will not allow it to die in our time. We are holding on to the PDP. If the governor decides to return to the party, he is welcome. But as it stands, the PDP is strong in Osun State,” he said.
In his remarks, the Osun PDP Caretaker Chairman, Tunde Tijani, also denied reports that the party had merged its structure with the Accord Party. He disclosed that the new leadership would soon begin a tour of local government areas in preparation for the party’s congress.
According to him, committees would be set up at the local government level to manage party affairs, while ward caretaker committees would also be constituted pending the conduct of a state congress.
Political uncertainty has trailed the Osun PDP since Adeleke’s defection to the Accord Party to pursue his governorship ambition.
Following the development, the state PDP leadership led by Sunday Bisi was dissolved by the party’s National Working Committee and replaced with a caretaker committee. However, the dissolved State Working Committee rejected the decision, maintaining that it remains the constitutionally recognised leadership of the party in the state.
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