Nigeria: Outgoing Ekiti PDP chair backs caretaker panel

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:51 pm

The Peoples Democratic Party National Working Committee has constituted a seven – man caretaker committee for the Ekiti State branch of the party. The development followed the expiration of the tenure of the executive committee led by Chief Gboyega Oguntuase.

The PDP NWC in a statement by its National Organising Secretary , Austin Akobundu, on Friday announced the composition of a caretaker committee for the Ekiti chapter of the party.

Senator Hosea Agboola heads the panel with Mr Yinka Akerele, Samuel Omotosho , Tunji Odeyemi , Ariyo Afolabi, Adeyemi Sunday and Diran Odeyemi as members .Oguntuase said the committee was set up to pilot the affairs of the party in the state and to prevent a vacuum.

He said his tenure would end on May 10 and that the step became imperative because of their inability to conduct the congress to elect his successor following the outbreak of COVID – 19 .

The PDP chief, who spoke in Ado Ekiti through the state Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, said, “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 party only acted in line with its constitution.

The caretaker committee will cease to exist as soon as validly recognised congresses are conducted at the levels. ”Oguntuwase said the disagreement between the group loyal to former Governor Ayodele Fayose and the one loyal to Senator Biodun Olujimi over the March 7 ward congresses would soon be resolved in court.

He said, “ 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.” He described the swearing in of ward excos by the group loyal to Fayose as abuse of power and privilege.