Ogun PDP factions hold parallel congresses

The crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has got messier as the three factions in the party yesterday held parallel congresses at separate locations in all 20 local councils of the state.

The three factions were believed to be led the state party chairman, by Bayo Dayo, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and Ladi Adebutu.

The local government congresses took the same pattern as the ward congresses last Saturday, which were also conducted by the factions.

In Abeokuta South Local Council, the Bankole’s faction held its congress at the Ake Palace while the Adebutu’s group staged its at Centenary Hall, a few metres away just as the Dayo’s faction organised its own at Igbore Townhall at Igbore, Abeokuta.

The situation was same at other council areas in the state.

Though the exercise was peaceful, it, however, produced different sets of leaders as expected.

Some of the new ‘executives’ who spoke with reporters, expressed regrets at the development, calling on the national leadership of the party to wade into the crisis and re-unite the three factions.

They (newly elected local council executives) alleged that the chairman and secretary have hijacked the party machinery and sidelined “perceived enemies.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Congress Committee for the state, Alhaji Mohammed Al-Yakub, has denied knowledge of parallel congresses, saying he was only aware of the congresses held at designated centres by his committee.