Supremacy war splits PDP in Ekiti, Plateau

The battle for control of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti and Plateau states has further widen the polarization of the party in the states with parallel structures emerging.

A chieftain of the party in Ekiti state, Senator Duro Faseyi, at the weekend, called for the “urgent intervention” of the National Working Committee (NWC) in resolving the crisis in the state chapter.

Faseyi, who said the party would not survive if the crisis which had culminated in parallel ward executive councils across the state and the suit instituted to stop the party from recognising the list allegedly generated by the Haruna Manu –led ward congresses committee were allowed to continue.

The former lawmaker, who spoke to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on behalf of a group known as the Repositioning Movement in Ekiti PDP, said the movement was neither a faction nor a platform for supremacy battle as being alleged in some quarters.

Faseyi said there was no leadership contest in Ekiti PDP with former governor Ayo Fayose, noting that, “He [Fayose] governed us for eight years, so it is clear he is the leader and he should play that role.

“He should not see himself as the leader of a PDP group. He should know how to bring everybody in the party together. That is my advice to him.

“NWC’s intervention is necessary to restore peace to the party, unite the members and ensure the party’s ability return to power in Ekiti. It is necessary we put the house in order, jettison all divisible tendencies being fueled daily by selfish aggrandizement and unnecessary ego.

Same scenario is also playing out in Plateau state where two caretaker committees of the party led by Honourable Nandom Pyennap and Mr Yakubu Choco have emerged.

While the Choco-led committee has the backing of the national secretary of the PDP and former governor of the state, Senator Jonah Jang, that of Pyennap is being supported by the governorship candidate of the party in 2019 election, Senator Jeremiah Useni.

Pyennap said the Choco-led committee has no business parading itself as a caretaker committee having exhausted its tenure.

“The public has been misinformed by a group of individuals by some persons at the national level who have taken advantage of the ravaging COVID-19 health crisis to perpetrate unconstitutional acts of tenure elongation,” he stated.

Apparently reacting to the position of the parallel caretaker committee, Chocho said his group has the backing of the national secretariat of the party, adding that they would conduct the state congress, but would vacate the seat for a committee that would be constituted by the national secretariat to conduct the election.