We're In War Mode, Blame Taraba Deputy Governor, Fayose For Ekiti PDP Crisis – Olujimi

 

The Senator representing Ekiti South District, Biodun Olujimi has stated that a war is looming in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, blaming the festering crisis on the Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Haruna Manu, and former Governor Ayo Fayose.

Olujimi, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, claimed that Manu, who had led a PDP team from the Headquarters to supervise the state congress recently, connived with Fayose to scuttle the exercise.

The Ekiti state chapter of the PDP was thrown into a fresh crisis recently when the Olujimi and Fayose factions of the party produced parallel executive lists after a botched congress.

Olujimi told journalists, “There is no calm within the Ekiti PDP. What we have is the lull before the war. We are already in the battle mode.

“What has happened is simple. We had congresses, and people bought forms. Before the forms were obtained and filled, the party brought out guidelines.

“Specifically, we were asked to conduct our elections between 8am and 2pm and we complied with that directive.

“Usually, what is expected of us is to get officials of the party to stand there, collect all the forms, got the people to queue and record the figure.

“The INEC officers and security agents would be there to sign it. Then we would proceed to Ado-Ekiti and wait till when the people from Abuja would come since it is not easy for them to come early.

“They will ask if the exercise has been conducted according to guidelines and if it was agreed to by everyone.

“They will then proceed to sign it and go. However, when we got to Ado Ekiti, we found out that the people from Abuja arrived at 4pmand said that they wanted to carry out the exercise all over again.

“I told them that we are not afraid of the exercise being done by them but that they should wait till the following morning by 8am as prescribed by the guidelines so that we could mobilise INEC and the security agencies and do it properly.”

The Senator explained that this suggestion was rejected by the Taraba State deputy governor who insisted on going ahead with the exercise even after she informed him that it would take two hours to travel from Ado Ekiti to her local government area.