Oyo PDP Leaders Fault Edo Deputy Governor’s Claim On Ward Congress

Some of the aggrieved leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State have described the claim by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, that there were no parallel congresses in the state as falsehood.

The aggrieved leaders had last Monday passed vote of no confidence in Governor Seyi Makinde over his leadership style and they said they could conduct separate congresses if they observed that the incumbent governor wanted to manipulate the exercise.

But Shaibu, who is the Chairman of PDP Ward Congress Committee in Oyo State said on Saturday that he did not see parallel congress anywhere in the state.

Shaibu said, “So far, so good, all the talks of having parallel election has not been noticed and what is key today is that the process has been peaceful.

“No report of any violence anywhere and that is one thing we have been afraid of since yesterday.

“Interestingly, all through the night, we were having discussions and phone calls to some of them that feel aggrieved. We will settle our internal issues and I am happy that we are already discussing.”

But a prominent leader among the aggrieved politicians, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan, told THE WHISTLER on Sunday that Shaibu could not have seen the parallel congresses in all the 351 wards in the state because ” he came to work for the interest of Makinde.”

Olopoeyan said those in his camp decided to hold separate congresses apart from the ones supervised by Shaibu because they were shut out.

He said they bought forms from the party, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, Department of State Services and the police also monitored the parallel congress.

He said, ” Edo Deputy Governor cannot stay in Ibadan and claim that there was no parallel congress anywhere. He didn’t see our congresses because he stayed where those who brought him asked him to stay.

” Shaibu came at night and he was camped in a hotel at Ikolaba area. He never invited us, he was brought to come and do the biddibg of Seyi Makinde and that was exactly what he did.

“We held our congress and they held theirs. We floored the government’s camp in all the 351 wards. The INEC, the police and the DSS monitored ours also.

“Parallel congress is not new in party politics. Makinde himself is a product of parallel congress. So, it is the party that will determine which one to take. But what happened on Saturday may happen in 2023 if care is not taken.”

The governor had also.on Saturday said he was happy with the way the exercise went but he called on the aggrieved party leaders to bring their greivances to the table for an amicable resolution.