Former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains formidable in the state despite the defection of Governor Ademola Adeleke to the Accord Party.
Oyinlola made the assertion on Thursday while addressing party stakeholders at a meeting held in Osogbo, the state capital. The gathering was attended by members drawn from all 30 local government areas of the state.
Among those present were the Osun PDP Caretaker Chairman, Tunde Tijani; the Caretaker Secretary, Seyi Bamidele; former Secretary to the State Government, Fatai Akinbade; and the former PDP South-West Vice Chairman, Taju Oladipo.
Notably, all appointed and elected political officeholders in the state stayed away from the meeting.
Oyinlola said the meeting was convened to clarify “confusing narratives” surrounding the status of the PDP at both the national and state levels.
“There have been some confusing narratives being pushed out about the status of PDP, especially in Osun State,” he said. “What we have done today is to present the situation as it truly is to our members so that wards and local governments across the state will understand where the PDP stands.”
Responding to speculation that the PDP in Osun had collapsed its structures into the Accord Party to facilitate Adeleke’s governorship ambition, Oyinlola firmly denied the claim.
“The PDP is a party with deep roots across the country. It is not in our time that we will allow it to die,” he said. “We are holding firmly to the PDP. If tomorrow our governor decides to return to his family in the PDP, he is welcome. But for now, the PDP stands strong in Osun.”
Also speaking at the meeting, Tijani dismissed allegations of collaboration between the PDP and the Accord Party. He announced plans by the caretaker leadership to embark on a tour of local government areas in preparation for a proposed congress.
“PDP stands firmly and has not colluded with the Accord as being rumoured,” Tijani stated. “We will visit each local government to constitute caretaker committees that will oversee party affairs at that level. These committees will in turn set up ward caretaker committees pending the conduct of a state congress.”
The party has been engulfed in uncertainty since Adeleke’s exit to the Accord party to pursue his governorship ambition.
Following his defection, the PDP’s State Working Committee led by Sunday Bisi was dissolved by the party’s National Working Committee and replaced with a caretaker committee.
However, the Bisi-led executive rejected the dissolution, insisting that it remains the constitutionally recognised leadership of the party in Osun.