By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-01-17 03:42:10
The crisis surrounding the 2022 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State is still ongoing, causing unrest within the ruling party. The opposition and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has made a recent move that has unsettled the party, as reported by Timothy Agbor.
A year after Governor Ademola Adeleke assumed office, peace remains elusive within the PDP in Osun State. Various factions that contested the gubernatorial primaries are still holding onto their positions, and the winner-takes-all attitude of the governor has not helped to reconcile warring factions.
Despite claims by supporters of the governor that he has been working silently to end the internal crisis and unite all party members, the indifference towards his government by other factions is a clear indication of the lack of unity within the party. Many top elders of the party have been nursing their grievances in silence and have been less involved in the affairs of the government, signaling a potentially difficult path for Adeleke in seeking a second term in office in 2026.
Some chieftains of the party have defected to other political parties in annoyance, while others have maintained a distance from the governor and the leadership of the party, not publicly identifying themselves with them or attending official functions of the state government.
Prominent elders and chieftains of the party, including former national secretary of the PDP and ex-governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Shuaib Oyedokun, third republic Senator, Dr Oluwole Alabi, and former leader of the party in the Southwest, Tajudeen Oladipo, have not been associating with Governor Adeleke and the current leadership of the party chaired by Sunday Bisi.
One of their grievances is that the governor allegedly sidelined the elders and some party members, and has been running the affairs of the state with his loyalists, who supported him during his struggle for the gubernatorial ticket.
There have been murmurs about the ongoing crises within the party, as many of the political figures affected are said to be still nursing their grievances against the governor. Many of these members, particularly the older ones, have decided to keep quiet and watch, not publicly letting out their grievances.
The battle for the 2022 governorship ticket further plunged the party into squabbles, leaving the party more fractured and factionalized. The primary, which was fiercely contested, led to a parallel primary by two factions, causing irreconcilable differences within the party.
The crisis heightened when Oyinlola was allegedly harassed and attacked by individuals said to be supporters of Governor Adeleke ahead of the primary. This led to protests by some members of the party in the state.
Following a series of suits against the candidature of Adeleke, the court eventually declared him as the authentic governorship candidate of the party, leaving his main rival, Babayemi out of the race.
However, since Adeleke took up the mantle of leadership, there has been no serious effort to settle the crisis. The faction loyal to Adeleke became jittery when Oyetola, a former minister and governor of the state, visited the home of Oyinlola, a retired military officer, with APC leaders in the state.
His visit fueled speculation about potential efforts to woo Oyinlola to his side ahead of the 2026 governorship poll. This was followed by Governor Adeleke embarking on a marathon visit to key elders of the PDP in an effort to strengthen the party’s unity.
During these visits, many party elders demanded urgent reconciliation of aggrieved elders and members, emphasizing the need to unite behind the government as a true peoples’ government. In response, Governor Adeleke expressed his commitment to further opening the doors of government and the party to all party members, especially the elders.
The ongoing political turmoil within the PDP in Osun State presents a significant challenge for the party’s unity and the governor’s prospects for a second term in office. Efforts to address the internal crisis and reconcile warring factions are crucial in securing the party’s future success.
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