Two factions lock horns as Osun PDP holds governorship primary election

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State is going into the Tuesday, March 8, governorship primary a divided house. Two factions are laying claims to the leadership of the party and for now, there is no indication that any attempt is being made to bring the two groups together.

The battle as to which delegates will be recognised by the National Executive Council of the party is ongoing.

A faction, led by the PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Soji Adagunodo, a former chairman of the party in the state, has its own delegates, while the other faction is led by Sunday Bisi.

It would be recalled that an Osun State High Court, presided by Justice A. Aderigbigbe last week while ruling on an experte motion brought before it by some elected ward chairmen of the party, said the ward congress held by the Soji Adagunodo-led State Working Committee on September 25, 2021, is the only valid congress.

The judge ruled that delegates elected from the congress were eligible to vote at the party’s primary on Tuesday.

An appellate court, sitting in Akure, Ondo State had earlier nullified the congress held by Adagunodo.

Members of both factions, who spoke with our correspondent on telephone still believe that their congress was the valid one and that their delegates will in turn be recognised by the national leadership.

A member of the Adagunodo faction, Apesin Adegoke Abiodun, stressed that their court validated delegates’ list will vote on the day of the primary.

He said: “If any other person brings in another list that is outside what court recognises, then those ones will not be allowed to vote and if they allow them to vote, their vote will not count or it will be rendered invalid.

“Adagunodo was the chairman when we held our ward congress, though they too also held a congress under the leadership of  Sunday Bisi, but with the court verdict, the congress held by Sunday Bisi is null and void.”

Abiodun, who expressed optimism that the Iyorcha Ayu- led national leadership will not go against last week’s court ruling, said the national chairman has always obeyed court rulings.

Abiodun said that the party is adopting indirect primary and not consensus. He, however, said that their faction which has five aspirants will pick one who will contest with the aspirant of the other faction, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

“We are currently having meetings to ensure that we have one of the five aspirants to be in contest with the other aspirant, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

“Since we are going to have one primary that day, we want to see how we will reduce the number that will come out and slug it out with Ademola Adeleke. 

“Politics is about negotiation and 24 hours is too long in politics to discuss. We are still having serious talk; we are not saying that one should dump his ambition for another person. 

“It is going to be a continuous discussion, until we reach compromise that this is the best among the five aspirants that can get us the governorship seat in Osun. 

“We may reach compromise today; it can be tomorrow or on the day of primary. Twenty four hours is a very long period to negotiate or agree on one of them,” he said.

On the allegations of buying/bribing delegates by the aspirants, Abiodun said: “Politics is about negotiation. This is delegates election, it is a must for an aspirant to go out and talk with delegates. Talking about bribing, I don’t know but what I know is that aspirants must talk/negotiate with delegates.

“The truth of the matter is that there is no way people will leave their places from far that you will not pay for their transport fares or feeding or accommodation if there are not going back on the same day.

“But people outside will misinterpret it as bribe. Nothing like bribe in politics because people will not do anything for free, especially when they will travel. It is not bribe but kind of logistics.”

Director, Media and Publicity of the Sunday Bisi faction, Oladele Oluwabamiji, said Adagunodo never conducted any congress, noting that congresses to elect delegates are the sole responsibility or duty of the national office of the part. 

“Soji Adagunodo never conducted any congress by himself. It was done by the national office and same was duly passed by the national executive committee and national convention of our party, which is the highest decision making organ. 

“For the court injunction, that is a matter for the national office. The national body will come with the appropriate list. The party will go ahead with its primary election on Tuesday as scheduled,” he said.

Oladele also confirmed that indirect primary had been the style of the party since inception.

He also denied the allegations of buying or bribing delegates, saying there was nothing of such.

“It is strange to me; I don’t know of any aspirant buying or bribing delegates. The normal thing to do is to persuade the delegates, talk to them, convince them to vote for you as an aspirant.

“And if they are convinced enough, they vote for you and if they are not convinced they will vote for the aspirant of their choice,” he said.