• Thursday, April 25, 2024
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Ondo PDP calls for removal of party chairman ahead of next month’s election

Opposition parties tackle PDP over defection claim in Akwa Ibom

Members of the Ondo State Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, have called for the removal of the Chairman of the party in the State, Fatai Adams over alleged incompetence, high-handedness, lack of transparency, anti-party and polarization of PDP across the 18 Local Governments of the State ahead next month election.

It was gathered on Monday that the State Working Committee of the party met with the leadership of the party demanding the removal of Adams, saying the Chairman lacked the capacity to lead the party to victory in the 2023 general elections.

The SWC also alleged that apart from causing division within the party, Adams lacked the capacity to bring all aggrieved members of the party together while the party’s candidates have been working at cross purposes

A member of the SWC who spoke with journalists said the Chairman of the PDP in the state is being used to carry out selfish interest of some individuals within the party, saying “as far as this man is the chairman, we would not win any election in Ondo in 2023”

He disclosed that the Chairman has been doing the bidding of the governorship candidate of the party in 2020, Eyitayo Jegede, keeping other leaders of the party in the dark about the activities of the party.

Read also: Why Buhari wants to leave a legacy of transparency

He said most of the party’s candidates have been running and funding their campaigns on their own without any input from the party

He noted that those who have openly tabled their grievances and challenged the leadership style of Adams and Jegede have been shut out of the party.

He said “the ongoing crisis in the party was caused by the inordinate ambition of a former governorship candidate to become the candidate of the party again in the 2024 governorship election in the state.

“They are scheming for the 2024 governorship election instead of working towards securing a win for the 2023 election and delivering the state for PDP and Atiku. They are talking of 2024 governorship elections and that is the main reason for the division within the party”

Kennedy Peretei, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, who also confirmed the development said some members of the SWC met with the leadership of the party, demanding the removal of the party chairman.

Peretei, however, said the leaders of the party have appealed to the SWC members to sheath their swords and work with the Chairman for the development of the party ahead of next month election.

He said, “Yes there was a joint meeting with the SWC members and the party leaders but the leaders have appealed to them to let peace reign in the party. It is an internal issue and it has been resolved. It is a normal thing to have issues within the party.

“They can’t be talking about the removal of the party’s Chairman some few days to elections, no matter the gravity of the allegations. The timing is wrong.”