The protracted crisis rocking the Osun state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party may have come to an end with the successful conduct of state congress producing Soji Adagunodo as the susbstantive chairman of the party in the state.
The party began it’s ward congress on Friday and local government congress on Saturday culminating to the state congress held at the Osogbo city stadium.
Crisis of the party began shortly after the 2014 governorship election, as the the party was thrown into disarray.
The July 2nd 2017 Osun west senatorial bye-election saw the Soji Adagunodo faction and that of Dr Bayo Faforiji come together which later produced Senator Ademola Adeleke .
The party was thrown into another leadership crisis with the National convention of the party held in Abuja which produced Uche Secondus as the chairman, states with crisis like Osun were asked to conduct fresh congress but was smeared with violence.
With the breakdown of possible harmonisation of factions, new lease of life got injected into Osun PDP with its state congress .
The congress which had only Soji Adagunodo as the chairmanship candidate was conducted by members of the National Working Committee of PDP led by Senator Ben Collins Udu as conducted by Emmanuel Agbhor while INEC officials monitored the exercise. While Soji Adagunodo was elected chairman, Bola Ajao emerged as secretary while Barrister Wale Ojo-Williams emerged as the party’s legal adviser, Bamidele Seyi emerged as the youth leader in an election which had 3154 accredited delegates and 3085 votes cast. The new executive were sworn in after the delegates affirmed return of the candidates unopposed.
In his acceptance speech Soji Adagunodo seek the unity of all party members in the state against the September 22 governorship election.
“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. It is only that there is always a part to play for everyone. We are the therefore determined to rescue our state and restore light in place of darkness, hope in place of despair, joy in place of sorrow and prosperity in place of poverty.
The new PDP chairman also declared that the party is now on “Operation Restore the Glory”, urging members of the public who may want to join the party in the last two years to come in.
“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.”
