Ekiti PDP crisis: Olujimi backs caretaker committee

• Urges Members To Be Fair, Transparent

Senator Biodun Olujimi representing Ekiti South in the National Assembly has expressed support for the newly constituted caretaker committee for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had constituted a seven-man caretaker committee chaired by a former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Hosea Agboola, to oversee the affairs of the party until a new executive is elected, for a period not more than 90 days.

The development followed the expiration of Gboyega Oguntuase-led State Executive Committee and the inability of the party to conduct the state congress scheduled for March 24, owing to the crisis of confidence rocking the party.

Olujimi, in a telephone chat yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, said the development was apt and imperative to prevent a vacuum in the leadership of the party.Her words, “The NWC has not committed any infraction for constituting a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the party. It only acted based on the dictates of the party’s constitution and this was done to prevent vacuum.

“I believe the committee will cease to exist as soon as valid congresses are conducted.” The senator urged the caretaker committee to ensure that equity, fairness, and inclusiveness manifested in its operation and conduct.

She added that the best that could be done at the moment was to ensure a level-playing field for all the members in the running of the party’s affairs.The PDP chieftain said she held no grudges against anybody, but only wanted to end the era of impunity in the party by reforming the state’s chapter in such a way that the principles of internal democracy, which, according to her, forms a critical part of the ideals of PDP, would be observed.

Olujimi insisted that the ward executives she inaugurated remained the authentic officials of the party, vowing to frustrate plots by ‘some spoilers’ to thwart the dream of the party forming the next government in the state in 2022.

She, however, advised the NWC to initiate a genuine peace strategy to salvage the soul of the party and its structure from collapse by reconciling aggrieved members, rather than taking sides in the crisis embroiling the Ekiti PDP.

Peaceful co-existence and unity of purpose among members of the party remain paramount to ensure the party takes over power from the All Progressives Congress in the state, she added.