Olujimi outsmarts Fayose, close ally takes over Ekiti PDP structure

The control of the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have slipped off the hands of former Governor Ayodele Fayose, as a close ally of Senator Biodun Olujimi, Alaba Agboola has taken over as the substantive chairman of the party in the state.

Agboola, an engineer, replaced the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Hon Bisi Kolawole, who resigned as the State Chairman to contest the governorship election in the state.

Agboola, who was the Chairman of the Repositioning Group, a faction of the Ekiti State PDP led by Olujimi, became the substantive State Chairman, after a meeting of the State Executive Committee meeting held in Ado Ekiti on Monday.

This was confirmed in a statement by the Deputy Chairman, Hon Lanre Omolase, who has been acting as Chairman and State Secretary, Mrs Funmi Ogun.

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The statement read in part: “At the Exco meeting of the PDP, Ekiti State, which was 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 flag bearer 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.”