The National Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed a seven-member executive caretaker committee for the Ekiti State chapter of the party.
The committee was constituted following the expiration of the outgoing State Working Committee under the Chairmanship of Barr. Gboyega Oguntuase.
Members of the committee chaired by former Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Hosea Agboola are Mr Yinka Akerele, Hon. Samuel Omotosho, Hon. Tunji Odeyemi and Ariyo Afolabi.
Others include: Hon. Adeyemi Abiodun Sunday and Hon. Diran Odeyemi, who is to serve as secretary.
In the letters dated May 8, 2020 and sent to members of the Caretaker Committee by the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), the party stated the Committee will oversee the affairs of the PDP in the state from May 10, 2020 until a new executive is elected, for a period not more than 90 days.
The party’s decision was predicated on the its inability to conduct the State congress scheduled for March 24 due to the controversy surrounding the ward congress and outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic leading stay-at-home and social distancing directives rolled out by the government to contain the spread of the virus.
While the executive committee members of some states were reconstituted to caretaker committees, The Nation gathered that the Oguntuase-led SWC was laid off due to its perceived loyalty to Senator Biodun Olujimi.
However, Oguntuase said the outgoing-SWC was neither dissolved nor sacked but the party constituted a caretaker committee in order not to create a vacuum in the party’s leadership position in Ekiti since the tenure of the executive has come into expiration.
“We were neither dissolved nor sacked. Our tenure expires on May 10 and there must not be room for a vacuum. It was done for the state and local government structures.
“The caretaker will cease to exist as soon as a validly recognised Congresses are conducted at that levels”.
On the crisis that characterised the outcome of the party’s ward Congress that had splitted the Ekiti PDP into Ayodele Fayose and Olujimi’s factions, Oguntuase said the contentious issue will be resolved by the court.
He insisted that the swearing in done for some ward executives loyal to Fayose by a Lawyer, Mr Niyi Idowu, was antithetical to the provisions of the party constitution.
“All the actions taken by the Notary Public was a nullity. Only the State Chairman can swear in a ward executive . If the state chairman refuses to perform such function, only the NWC is vested with such powers .
“Those who brought in a lawyer and non-PDP member to perform the swearing acted ultra vires of their powers . They also acted subjudicially because the matter is in court already”, he said.
Oguntuase said the party under him had written the lawyer on the need for him to retract his decision and tender apology, failing which he would be reported to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee for punitive actions.
“They only embarked on act that embarrassed the PDP. How can we allow a non-member to take actions that can destroy our party?
“They even came at a time there was a total lockdown in Ekiti. They have to explain how they entered Ekiti despite the border closure and how they assembled over 600 people for the swearing in without breaching the social distancing order.
“We are confident that the court will look at the two parallel ward Congresses and adopt the one that was conducted in substantial compliance with the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act”, Oguntuase said.
