Sunday Bisi still Osun PDP chairman, Adagunodo’s move condemnable – SEC

By Musa Baba Adamu

The executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun State Chapter, has condemned the recent move by a faction of the party to scuttle the peace being enjoyed by party members in the State.

Even as it revealed that the recent destabilizing move was orchestrated by loyalists of Olasoji Adagunodo, a former embattled State party chairman and current National Vice Chairman South-West of the party.

The state executive committee affirmed that Sunday Bisi remained State chairman of the party.

Making this known via a press statement, Ayodeji Areola, the State Publicity Secretary, who spoke after an executive committee meeting in Osogbo, condemned Adagunodo’s action of taking the party to court without exhausting domestic remedies as provided for by its constitution.

While noting that no vacancy existed for the position of Osun PDP chairman, Areola explained that nothing warranted the nomination and appointment of Wale Ojo as the acting chairman of the State chapter of the party.

The Osun PDP Publicity Secretary also revealed that a vote of confidence had been passed in Sunday Bisi as the chairman, having been appointed by the state executive committee on October 6, 2020, and ratified by the National Working Committee through a letter dated October 16, 2020.

While wondering how Wale Ojo was adopted by the state executive committee as acting Chairman, he declared that the party executive had not at any time sat to declare any vacancy in the Chairmanship seat of Osun PDP since assumption of office of Bisi and at no time did they decide to relocate the party Secretariat from Biket Junction, which is the officially recognized Osun PDP Secretariat registered with INEC and the National Headquarters of the PDP.

He called on the party leaders, relevant stakeholders and loyal party members in the State to rise up to the occasion, speak with one voice to rescue the party and condemn the anti-party activities being perpetrated by the supporters of Olasoji Adagunodo and his faction.

While calling on Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP National Chairman and the National Working Committee to severely punish the National Vice Chairman South West of the party and his supporters, Areola maintained that the report of Osun PDP Disciplinary Committee set-up by the state executive committee which investigated and made recommendations with respect to the anti-party activities of Wale Ojo, Remi Arogundade, Lase Longe, Chief Sanmi Ogunyemi, Fadehan Marcus, Yemi Adepoju and Isaac Durojaye, submitted on August 13, 2021, had been adopted.

Part of their decisions at the meeting include that: “The report of the Osun PDP Disciplinary Committee recommending the removal of Barr Wale Ojo (Vice Chairman Osun East) and Alh. Remi Arogundade (State Financial Secretary) as members of SWC/SEC and their immediate replacement from their various local governments, as well as their debarment from holding any Party executive office for the next one year be and is hereby approved.

”That the report of Osun PDP Disciplinary Committee recommending the reprimand /warning of Mr Lase Longe(State Assistant Organizing Secretary),Chief Sanmi Ogunyemi (Ex-Officio),Mr Fadehan Marcus( ExOfficio), Mr Yemi Adepoju(State Assistant Secretary)and Hon Isaac Durojaye (Ife East Local Government Chairman) be and is hereby adopted.”

The Osun PDP State executive, however, asked the Adagunodo faction to withdraw all pending court cases.