The senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, senator Ademola Adeleke has written the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP of his intention to contest under the platform for the September 22 governorship elections in the state.
Adeleke who has been seen as the “dancing senator” submitted his letter of intent at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja dated Monday, 16th April, 2018, resting all speculations about his intention.
Adeleke won the July 7, 2017 bye-election conducted after the death of his elder brother, late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke who was also rumoured to be nursing governorship ambition until his death in April last year.
Leaders of thought in the Osun Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP on Friday decried the action of a former Deputy Governor of the State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore who burnt four flags of the PDP at the Ogo Oluwa secretariat of the party.
Addressing a press conference at the NUJ Correspondents Chapel in Osogbo on Friday, the leaders want Omisore to publicly apologize for the “misdeed” or face disciplinary action from the National Headquarters of the main opposition party in the state.
Read the text of the Press Conference below:
TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY EX- PDP POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS AT THE OSUN NUJ CORRESPONDENTS CHAPEL, Today Friday, April 6th, 2018.
Gentlemen of the press,
We address you today on behalf of the teeming members of our Forum who are former members of the National Assembly, Osun state House of Assembly, Commissioners, ex-local government chairmen, vice chairmen and councilors, Former Special Advisers and Executive Assistant to the Governor, Board chairmen and Heads of Agencies.
We are all leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun state and are therefore very interested in the progress of the party and its success in all elections beginning with the Governorship polls in September this year.
We use this medium to state that we are deeply shocked, saddened and disappointed at the most recent conduct of a former deputy governor who is also a former senator, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, who was reported to have personally supervised the burning of the PDP flag and other party symbols by some hoodlums at his office in Osogbo yesterday.
Picture showing him superintend over the burning of PDP flags and banner at the former PDP secretariat, Ogo Oluwa went viral on all Media yesterday.It is a fact that his yesterday’s action was the peak of the senator’s self-determined war against the PDP, the party of which he has been a major beneficiary.
To those who may not know, Omisore’s fight against our party dated back to year 2014 immediately after the gubernatorial election that held in the state during which he was our candidate.That the PDP lost in the election may no longer be news but the secret behind the party’s undeserved loss at the poll remains the issue that thereafter culminated into so many regrettable developments for the party.
As a serious party after the elections, various committees were set up to probe into why we lost and there were many serious and disappointing revelations which include but not limited to the fact that the senator who was our candidate helped his pockets to a great extent with funds meant for the election. He couldn’t account till today for several billions of naira meant for providing essential logistics for the 2014 elections.
The flags burnt to ashes
Attempts to ask him questions led to so many unpalatable reactions from him which included the ejection of the party from his Ogo Oluwa property which hitherto served the party’s state secretariat.Amidst this came the issue of EFCC allegations, investigations, arrest, detention, and refund of several billions of naira which he allegedly collected for the purpose of the governorship elections.
Despite his isolation of the party at the time of collection and appropriation of the funds, as a responsible party we stood by him during the travails. Our party joined him to suffer the image battery because of the brotherly love and respect we had for him.All these could not appease the former Deputy Governor who had since turned himself into an albatross for the party and continued to promote factions and disloyalty to the party leadership especially under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus.
The hallmark of this untoward act was yesterday’s desecration of the party symbols in an apparent show of gross indiscipline and ingratitude.
The Burnt Flags
This is quite unbecoming of a man who had been greatly favored by the PDP in his times of trials and need and still hoped to fly the flag of the party as a governorship candidate.
It is unfortunate that in spite of the assurances given by the national leadership of the party to provide a level playing ground for all governorship aspirants in the PDP, Otuba Omisore would rather prefer to be made the automatic candidate of the party in flagrant disrespect to the constitution of the party and the resolve of the Uche Secondus led NWC to deviate from the impunity of the past and allow full internal democracy.
It is obvious that Otunba Omisore is terribly afraid of any competition from other aspirants. This is clearly an admission of his total loss of popularity among the rank and file of party members and indeed his unacceptability by the electorate.
Members of the Fafoirji group at the secretariat
It is also on record that two other political parties recently approached by Otunba Omisore in his political desperation as his Plan B have both rejected him hence his utter state of confusing utterances after yesterday’s events.
We are happy inform you that over 90% of his hither-to supporters, some of whom were deceived with a phantom empowerment programme to attend the meeting in his office yesterday have vowed to remain in the State PDP under the leadership of Hon. Soji Adagunodo.
In the light of the above stated facts therefore, the forum of EX PDP POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS IN OSUN STATE hereby make the following demands:
1. That Otuba Iyiola Omisore must within the next 72hours condemn the barbaric action of the hoodlums who desecrated the PDP flag in his office yesterday and tender an unreserved apology to the leadership of the party for the unacceptable conduct
.2. That Otunba Omisore must unequivocally state his stance on the continued membership of the party or otherwise rather in view of the conflicting statements emanating from his aides and confidants in the last 24 hours.
3. That in the event of Otunba Omisore choosing to remain in the PDP, he must within the same 72hours withdraw all court cases instituted by him through his proxies and explore the internal mechanism in the party to resolve any grievances he has.
4. That in the event of a failure of Otunba Omisore to do the above, we call the leadership of the party at all levels to take appropriate disciplinary action against him in order to show that no single individuals inordinate ambition is above the larger interest of the party.
Loyalists of the Former State Deputy Governor, Otunba Iyiola Omisore on Thursday burned the flags of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Omisore Campaign office, Gbongan/Ibadan Road, Osogbo.
The action might have signaled the departure of Omisore from the PDP.
Eyewitness at the party secretariat told OsunDefender reporter that, Former Special Adviser, to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola on Students Affairs, Mr Adeniyi Bamidele popularly known as Sangaruwa led those who burned the flag.
Adeniyi and five others are among those who are currently challenging the last month congress that produced Soji Adagunodo before an Abuja High Court.
The flags burnt to ashes
Four PDP flags at the front of the campaign office was removed and bunt to ashes by the angry supporters of the former senator.
Omisore later arrived at the secretariat in 18 Passengers Toyota Bus and moved in convoy to the major streets in Osogbo in a show of popularity.
However, the former deputy governor is yet to announce his new political platform as at the time of filling this report.
Members of the Fafoirji group at the secretariat
After the action of the members which Senator Omisore was part of, the former deputy governor declined comments when was approached by newsmen.
A former member of the House of Representative who is the Director General of Faforiji group, Hon. Bade Falade in an interview said, “Today we called a meeting to purposely brief our people concerning the happenings in the party in the light of the congress that was conducted.
Falade who faulted the congress as directed by the National Working Committee said, “When the instruction for the reconvening of the congress was passed, the directive was given to Adagunodo group. They now said they have concluded the outstanding ward congresses so also is the local and the state congress without us which was supported the the National Working Committee of PDP”.
He stressed that, “there are have been court actions trying to establish a ward congress that was conducted and concluded in Osun State by Markafi before he departed and that base serves as an instrument during the national convention held in Abuja.”
The Leader of the Faforiji group opined that,”On the basis of the court action, we thought there is no need for ward congresses again but in the wisdom of the National Working Committee, they felt it was needed to conduct their own which they did. We did not participate in the congresses.
Falade said “We have come here today to breif our people about the issue because they have been restless since the congresses were held. We thought we could bring them together to let them know the state of affairs but before we uttered anything, they lowered all the flags and billboards were all destroyed.”
He however stated that the action taken by the the members is not from the instance of the Faforiji leaders “All the leaders from Faforiji’s group are still in PDP. Although our people might be aggressive but we will pacify them. By implication Senator Omisore has not exceeded PDP, he is till in PDP. We have litigation pending in some courts and nothing can be done until that is determined.”
All Progressives Congress in the state of Osun has told the Peoples Democratic Party to face its crises-ridden party sort out themselves and stop hallucinating on how to ‘wrestle’ power from the ruling party.
The ruling APC said a party that cannot conduct ordinary wards congresses in unity cannot stand in the way of the progressive APC.
According to a statement by the party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, in the last three years or so, the PDP has embroiled in fractional leadership crisis, fighting over who should control the party, which has generated into having two secretariats up till now.
“They are unserious and can’t rule over the good people of Osun who have been enjoying dividends of democracy over seven years now.
“Osun cannot afford to make a wrong decision because that will be inviting the evil that is waiting in the wings to destroy the glorious achievements that Osun has seen since 2010.
“Every citizen of the state should look around himself or herself and ask this vital question: is this Osun I used to know when the PDP was in power?
“Wonderful citizens of Osun, let us take you through the memory lane and ask residents of Osogbo in particular the following questions: is Osogbo looking better today than it was between 2003 and 2010?
“If you can honestly say yes, then the party which made the city better is the one to trust, not the ‘Ojelus’ in PDP who allowed the city to rot and became a death trap as the season changed.
“ The residents of Osogbo would not forget the ‘Gbonmi’, where every time it rained, residents of the area suffered devastating losses of human lives and the destruction of properties.
“You should not forget that for the seven and half years that the PDP was in power in the state, it abandoned ‘Gbonmi’ and became complicit in the disasters that regularly happened there and other areas of ‘Omiyale’.
“What about Alekuwodo?, the party further asked, ‘do you appreciate the beauty and the feel of that area of Osogbo? So is Olaiya and the recently commissioned Workers Drive look better?
“Talk about ‘Omigade’ area. You remember how hopelessly abandoned that area was? It was so inaccessible, even motorcyclists (okada) refused to ply roads in that area.
“That was the ugliness of Osogbo during the PDP regime. But today, how does Omigade look like? It has become a choice residential area where the property premium is very attractive.
“That’s the beauty of the Aregbesola’s approach to governance, ‘according to the APC, adding, ‘those who have eyes to see, brains to think and a conscience to work with will adore the revolutionary changes that have taken place in Osun, especially in Osogbo.
“There are many more places like Omigade in Osogbo that have been restored from their miserable condition to places of choice in the state capital.
“They include Old Garage, Ofatedo, Awosuru and Eleyele. You, good people of Osun, the governor and his party that brought about this transformation are now involved in a political transition.
“The PDP says it wants to come back to power. Does your conscience tell you that that party is an alternative to APC?’, the party asked.
“Can you in good conscience prefer a party that left the state to rot; that allowed flood to claim lives and properties and that practically squandered the resources of the state to return to power and do worst things?
“God forbid”, the APC proclaimed’, adding that ‘those who are clamouring for a reversal of the success and progress that Osun has made under the APC government, led by Rauf Aregbesola are worst than the devil itself.
The crises in the Osun chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be far from being over even with the conclusion of the party’s ward congresses and the conducted congress of the party over the weekend.
The National Secretariat of the party had given the state chapter the go-ahead to conclude its ward congresses and to conduct state congress to elect executives into the State Working Committee, with a view to preparing the party for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
As a state High Court in Ejigbo threw an injunction before it out asking the party to go and settle their differences at home, the party’s national headquarters gave the directive to proceed with the process and the Soji Adagunodo faction went ahead with the process that eventually produced wards, local governments and state executive committees for the party.
In his inaugural speech after his election, Mr Soji Adagunodo disclosed that the National Working Committee’s stance on ensuring that justice and fairness is given priority is the breakthrough to peace and progress in the state branch of the party.
He disclosed that he is committed to ensuring that the party upholds the tenets of democracy to ensure that the peace it is enjoying now is sustained.
He extended hands of fellowship to other contestants in the election, saying the task to develop the party in the state is a task for all and sundry.
However, 24 hours after the conduct of the congress, the leader of the other faction, Dr. Bayo Faforijin stated on his facebook page that it is certain that his faction would leave the party to continue the pursuit for the governorship ambition of Senator Iyiola Omisore on a yet to be named platform.
However, when he was contacted, he said the congress that was held over the weekend was illegal, as it violates the constitution and timetable set for it. He said the congress was supposed to be held on Tuesday but was moved backward to Sunday which resulted into shutting out his group.
He added that his group would wait for the reaction of the party’s National Working Committee to either validate or invalidate the congress.
He quickly added that if it validates the congress, then his faction would be left with no option than to leave the party in pursuance of their aspirations somewhere else.
The All Progressives Congress in the State of Osun has asked the PDP members to stop wasting their time on how to wrestle power from the ruling party.
The APC spokesperson, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said this in a statement he issued on Sunday.
He tasked the opposition party to sort out its crisis first before planning to reclaim power from the APC.
Oyatomi said, “A party that cannot conduct ordinary ward congress in unity cannot stand in the way of the progressive APC. The PDP is populated by unserious people who cannot rule the good people of Osun State.”
The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday, elected Hon Olasoji Adagunodo, as the party’s chairman in the state.
The congress held at Osogbo city Stadium on Sunday, had in attendance leaders of the party across the state and witnessed by the National body of the party led by Emmanuel Agbor, Chairman Electoral Committee.
Those at the congress include, former National Secretary, Professor Wale Ladipo, former Deputy Governor in the state and former Minister of State for Defense, Erelu Olusola Obada, former Minister for Youths and Sports, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, Sen. Olu Alabi, former National Deputy Chairman, Shuaib Oyedokun, and members of the House of Representatives, Hon Oluwole Oke and Hon Albert Adeogun
Others are, former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, Prince Ade Fadahunsi, former Chairman of the party in the state, Gani Ola-Oluwa, former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adejare Bello, Senator Felix Ogunwale, House of Assembly member, Dipo Eluwole, Nathaniel Oke SAN, among others.
Delivering his speech, Adagunodo called on aggrieved members of the party to support him .
“Let me therefore use this opportunity to extend a hand of friendship to our fellow contestants who also offered themselves for the service of our party in various positions.
“I want to assure you all that the fact that you lost in this election does not in anyway mean that you are less competent to run the affairs of the party.
“We shall ensure that no member of the party suffers any form of discrimination on the basis of his or her previous affiliation during our crisis period. We shall, in word and in deed show that truly, there are no victors and there are no vanquished.
“For members of other political parties who have been indicating interest in joining the PDP but were constrained by the crisis of the last two years, I want to tell you that the siege is now over and our doors are wide open for you to come and join us,” he stated.
The faction loyal to Senator Iyiola Omisore which has Dr Bayo Faforji as its chairmanship hopeful have since rejected the congress that produced Adagunodo, saying the process was fradulent and bereft of the party’s guidelines.
Osun PDP has since 2014 when it lost to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s All Progressives Congress APC been unsettled with varying leaders of the party battling to have the control of the state exco’s leadership in preparation for September’s governorship election.
The National Working Committee of PDP has directed that the completion of wards Congresses should hold on Saturday in the State of Osun based on the Report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Below is the timetable which includes the venue of where the congresses will hold on Saturday.
As the governorship election in the State of Osun is months away, those with eagles eyes have alleged that the leadership of the People Democratic Party is distributing guns and other lethal weapons to thugs at Iremo in Ile-Ife to fight opposition parties in the forthcoming polls.
According to a source who resides at Iremo and pleaded anonymity, he told our correspondent that the suspected PDP thugs were hailing the party yesterday for the weapons brought to them.
He added that it was revealed that the arms and ammunitions has been stockpiled in an undisclosed location since last year and meant to be distributed for the purpose of the governorship election.
Another source revealed that about 26 thugs were allotted with various numbers of the dangerous weapons as their domains demand to operate with before, during and after the election.
He confided in OsunDefender that a marching order was given to the participants at the meeting that thugs assigned to them should be used to cause confusion across the state with specific instructions that some members of APC should be attacked prior to the election to scare them away from the state so as not to mobilise their members for the election.
All efforts by our reporter to speak with the leadership of PDP in Ile Ife to confirm their level of interference, but a top PDP leader who also resides at Iremo, Mr Afeni Olowolayemo said that such information is far away from truth.
The State Government of Osun has accused the opposition of vandalizing some infrastructural projects being done by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s admimistration in some parts of Osogbo, the state capital.
The accusation came on the heel of the vandalization of November 26 and August 9 bridges of the Osogbo-East bypass by some yet to be known vandals.
About six feet of the rod used for the expansion joint of the November 26 bridge on the Osun river was
cut away and street light armoured cables were also carted away by the vandals.
At the August 9 bridge, four cast iron which allow surface run off water on the bridge, according to the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Kazem Salami were also stolen.
Speaking at the inspection of the bridges, Salami who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, described the incident as a deliberate sabotage of the infrastructure by some ‘enemies of progress’.
Salami, who dismissed the rumour that the bridge was about to collapse maintained that the vandalized section of the bridge does not in anyway have structural defect on it, stressing that the bridges would last for 30 years before any maintenance work on them would be necessary.
He explained that the expansion joint vandalised was just to take care of the elasticity of the concrete on the bridge, stating that there is no structural defect on them.
The commissioner said: “This is November 26, bridge; some enemies of progress came about two weeks ago and removed all the armoured cable at the side of the parapet wall. They came again on the bridge and cut the binder cords that support the material for the expansion joint.
“They cut some section of the binder cord away. Concrete is a special material. It expands when there is heat and contrast when there is cold. That is why the cords are put at the expansion joint to prevent crack at the joint. But the vandals came, broke the asphalt and cut away the binder cords.
“The contractor has replaced the cords and that is why traffic is diverted for curing period.
“The enemies of progress just wanted to destroy Aregbesola’s job, and they cannot succeed. If any bridge is going to collapse, it is not any of the bridges Aregbesola constructed. The construction strength of these bridges is higher than others anywhere in Nigeria.
Commenting, Baderinwa, the commissioner for Information and Strategy said: “When you look at the kind of work being carried out as far as road construction is concerned in the state, you will appreciate the infrastructural development; only for ignoble people that would start vandalizing the projects. It is the most criminal thing for anybody to do! It is a deliberate sabotage by enemies of this government and the people of the state.
“After November 27th this year, the administration of Aregbesola will be over, but these bridges, like other projects in the state would remain for another 50 years unrepaired. If we have these kind of infrastructure and you think the only thing to do is to start sabotaging, vandalizing them, it is the most unfortunate thing. I pity those who are doing it.
“To establish the sabotaging theory, the opposition people are the ones that first broke the news that the bridge was about to collapse. They were the one that started talking about it. I am throwing it as a challenge to them, that they are the ones that wanted to sabotage the bridge, but God says it is not possible for them.
“I put it to the oppositions in the state that they are the ones that made the attempt. Going by what the commissioner for Works and Transport said, if you firebomb these bridges, they are not going to cave in, that is the reality. But they are not aware of that fact, that is why they are making petty attempts.
“We are challenging them to deny the fact that they are not the ones who first broke the news that the bridges was about to collapse. There is a Yoruba saying that a witch threatened yesterday and the child dies today; it is obvious the witch killed the child. They did it, they brought it to the notice of the public, they wanted to create crisis for the government and they wanted people to lose confidence in the projects being carried out. But unfortunately, as usual, they have failed.
The Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Information Strategy, Hon. Semiu Okanlawon, has revealed that the past administration by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, borrowed money to pay workers salaries.
This is in response to the criticism against Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration borrowing money to sponsor some developmental projects.
During a radio programme monitored by Osun Defender, Okanlawon said that the Oyinlola Olagunsoye’s administration borrowed 1bn every month to pay salary.
The Legal Adviser to the PDP who was also on the programme however, said the present administration has not completed any road project including the proposed airport among others in the state.
In a swift response, Okanlawon stated that the projects are ongoing, adding that while some has been completed, others are under construction.
“The projects are going on, construction work is taking place, most of the roads are completed while the Gbongan bridge is under construction. An aircraft can actually land in the present condition of the airport and those who know it worth has came to sign an MOU with the state government. It is just that PDP and its loyalists are gifted not to see good things, Aregbesola deserves kudos because he has used unprecedented means to catalyse Osun economy.”
“We inherited all loans granted Osun since its creation and even at that, Osun didn’t owe such mischievous loan as being accused by the opposition neither is it embarking on grandeurs projects.
“If PDP is accusing us of grandeurs projects, ask its members what they do while in Government for 16 years in Nigeria with 7 and a half years in Osun.”
“Osun people now knows better. We didn’t borrow such gargantuan funds as being alleged, the State Government is only borrowing as occasion demanded for the welfare of the people. PDP can never fool the collective psyches of Osun people.” Okanlawon added.
