The People’s Democratic party PDP in Ekiti state is currently wrangling over the appointment of new state chairman of the party.
This occured as the state Deputy Chairman of the PDP Hon Lanre Omolase, who has also been acting as Chairman and State Secretary, Mrs Funmi Ogun on Monday announced the appointment of Engr Alaba Agboola, as the substantive Chairman of the party in the State.
The statement further explained that Engr Agboola who is from Ijero Ekiti, Ijero local government area of the state would replace the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Hon Bisi Kolawole, who resigned as the State Chairman to contest the governorship.
The statement claimed that the appointment of Engr Agboola as the substantive State Chairman, was among the resolutions at the State Executive Committee meeting held in Ado Ekiti on Monday.
The statement reads:
“At the Exco meeting of the PDP, Ekiti State, which held at the State Secretariat of the Party, at the instance of the Chairman (Acting) – Hon. Lanre Omolase, on Monday, 4th July, 2022, the quorum at attendance being over and above one-third of the total membership of the Exco, deliberated on the need to appoint a substantive Chairman for our Party, in accordance with the Party’s Constitution.
“Article 47(6) of the Constitution of our great Party, the People’s Democratic Party, provides that: ‘Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.’
“Accordingly and in view of the resignation of our erstwhile Party Chairman Hon Bisi Kolawole, who became our party flagbearer at the recent Ekiti State Governorship Election, the State executive committee members present deliberated on an appropriate and capable stalwart from the same zone as our erstwhile Chairman and unanimously appointed Hon. Alaba Agboola as substantive Chairman, to serve out the remainder of the tenure of our said erstwhile Chairman.
“It was also resolved that Hon. Lanre Omolase, the Chairman (Acting), should revert to his elected post as the Deputy Chairman of our party, PDP, Ekiti State, while the National officials of our great party, corporate organizations, as well as our teeming party members and the general public be immediately notified of the appointment of our new substantive Party Chairman.”
It should be recalled that Engr Agboola, was the Chairman of the Repositioning Group, a group in the Ekiti State PDP led by Senator Biodun Olujimi.
However, the state publicity secretary of the party, Hon.Raphael Adeyanju in another statement rejected the announcement saying the purported appointment emanated from former Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose and should be ignored in its totality, “since he cannot put something on nothing”
Adeyanju added that “The entire process of appointment of the State Party Chairman is exclusively the responsibility of the State Executive Council, (SEC), which comprises all major stakeholders of the party numbering about 60.
“The meeting of the State SEC is presently ongoing to ratify the nomination of the central Senatorial district, thus satisfying section 47 (6) of the party constitution.
“The name of the substantive State Chairman of PDP as confirmed by SEC will be announced shortly.
“Please ignore all other communications that is not from the official spokesperson of the party, herein the State Publicity Secretary of PDP”. Adeyanju said.