Ahead of Osun guber poll, PDP in disarray as Omisore supporters take to violence

Ahead of the 2018 governorship election of Osun State, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be in disarray.

Some people suspected to be supporters of Senator Iyiola Omisore on Thursday invaded the party’s secretariat located at the Ogo Oluwa area along the Osogbo/Gbongan Expressway, Osogbo, and set the party flags ablaze.

The irate members of the PDP, also vandalised the party’s signpost erected in front of the building and removed the party logos and emblems.

The secretariat used to be the party’s only secretariat in the state, but owing to crisis in the party, a faction led by Mr. Soji Adagunodo set up another secretariat at the Bisket area along Ikirun Road.

On Thursday, Omisore’s supporters were said to have gathered at the secretariat at Ogo Oluwa area for a routine congress of the Bayo Faforiji-led PDP faction, loyal to Omisore.

In attendance at the congress it was learnt, were Omisore; a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, Tajudeen Oladipo; a former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; and other chieftains of the party.

Omisore declined to speak to newsmen, who accosted him soon after his supporters carried out the acts.

However, the director-general of the faction and a member of the House of Representatives, Bade Falade, who spoke to newsmen, explained what happened and debunked the rumours that Omisore and other members of the faction have left the PDP.

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He regretted the alleged sudden manner the other faction of the party conducted a congress of the party about two weeks ago without inviting the Faforiji faction.

“We gathered here today for what is our routine congress to brief our people about what happened between the last congress and now. But before we know it, our supporters who are aggrieved lowered the flags and set them ablaze. They are aggrieved and they have genuine reasons to be aggrieved but the burning of the flags was not done at our own instance. They did it on their own.

“We are still in the PDP. Otunba Iyiola Omisore is in the PDP, he has not left the PDP. When the case in court is determined, then we will know the next step to take,” he said.

The Osun State governorship election comes up later in the year after the governorship election in Ekiti State in July.

 

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