The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ekiti chapter, is experiencing a leadership crisis over the appointment of a new state chairman.
A pro-Ayo Fayose group issued a statement suggesting that a new state party chairman had been appointed to take the place of Otunba Bisi Kolawole, who ran as the party’s candidate in the just-concluded June 18 Governorship Poll in Ekiti
A statement by the acting chairman of the PDP, Lanre Omolashe, and State Secretary, Mrs. Funmi Ogun, claimed that one Engr Agboola from Ijero Ekiti had been appointed to replace Kolawole.
The appointment of Engr Agboola as the party chairman is reportedly the resolution of the State Executive Committee meeting held in Ado Ekiti today.
The statement said partly: “At the Exco meeting of the PDP, Ekiti State, which held at the State Secretariat of the Party, at the instance of the Chairman (Acting) – Hon. Lanre Omolase, on Monday, 4th July 2022, the quorum at attendance being over and above one-third of the total membership of the Exco, deliberated on the need to appoint a substantive Chairman for our Party, in accordance with the Party’s Constitution.”
However, another statement from the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Raphael Adeyanju, asked members of the public to ignore the purported appointment of the new state party chairman, insisting that the process of appointment is exclusively the responsibility of the State Executive Council, (SEC), which comprises all major stakeholders of the party numbering about 60.
He said: “This is to inform the general public that purported appointment of the State PDP Party Chairman by the former Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, should be ignored in its totality since he cannot put something on nothing.
“The meeting of the State SEC is presently ongoing to ratify the nomination of the Central Senatorial district, thus satisfying section 47 (6) of the party constitution.
“The name of the substantive State Chairman of PDP as confirmed by SEC will be announced shortly.”
