PDP South-West crisis deepens as Makinde, Fayose trade barbs over congress

Just a few days after they publicly embraced and shouted conciliation, the feud between the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, deepened on Thursday after he cautioned the latter against making inflammatory remarks about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress in the South-West.

The duo had promised to work together and rebuild the party at a media briefing held ahead of the congress in Osogbo, Osun State.

Fayose, who acknowledged Makinde as PDP leader in the South-West last week, claimed on Wednesday that the PDP congress in the zone was fraught with irregularities.

He added that dead and sick people were found on the list of accredited delegates for the congress.

The ex-Ekiti governor also described Makinde as “deadly.”

The ex-deputy governor of Oyo State, Taofeek Arapaja, who was backed by Makinde, emerged as the PDP vice-chairman in the South-West.

He defeated the party’s former chairman in the zone, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, who was the ex-Ekiti governor’s preferred candidate for the seat in the congress held on Monday.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Taiwo Adisa, the governor warned Fayose against spreading a false narrative about the congress.

The statement read: “The South-West PDP zonal congress held in Osogbo has come and gone and there is no doubt that it will go down the history lane as one of the most peaceful PDP congresses in the zone.

“The peaceful conduct of that congress, one must say, followed the body language and actions of the leader of the party in the zone, Governor Makinde, a man renowned for being a peaceful politician.

“Despite the desperation and provocations from the Fayose camp, the governor maintained his calm and guided the zone to a peaceful congress that has now produced worthy leaders for the party.

READ ALSO: At last Fayose accepts Makinde as PDP leader in South-West

“The governor made it clear from the outset that the congress was about rebuilding and strengthening the South-West PDP and he worked hard to ensure that the party puts its best forward, as, according to him, whatever happened in that congress had ramifications for the national polity.

“Governor Makinde had equally described the congress as a family affair, promising to work with anyone who emerged winner, with the climax of the Monday, April 12, 2021, event being the eventual acceptance of Governor Makinde as the leader of the South-West PDP by former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

“One is, therefore, surprised that less than 48 hours after that acceptance and the commitment to work with Governor Makinde to build the party, the former governor is masterminding an assault against Governor Makinde over the peaceful congress in which the latter made it clear that there would be ‘no victor, no vanquished’.

“One can see the ungodly pattern Makinde’s critics are following by trying to build a false narrative around the congress with a view to rubbishing it.

“It should, therefore, come as a surprise to the public that the same camp that claimed that it had conceded defeat and was ready to work with Arapaja, is now engaging in media warfare against the governor.”

The exchange of words between the two PDP chieftains has shown that the crisis rocking the party in the zone is far from being over.

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