Ondo PDP crisis deepens as SWC demands chairman’s resignation

It’s our internal issue, says Publicity Secretary

The crisis rocking Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new turn yesterday, following the call by members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party for the resignation of Fatai Adams as Chairman.

The committee, which met with the leadership of the party, alleged that the chairman lacked the capacity to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming general elections.

The SWC members accused Adams of highhandedness, lack of transparency and polarisation of the party across the 18 councils of the state, among several other allegations.

A member of the SWC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity after the meeting, told The Guardian that with the party’s chairman at the helm of affairs in the state, candidates of the party would lose at the 2023 polls.

He added that most of the party’s candidates had been running and funding their campaigns on their own without any input from the party.
However, the state’s Publicity Secretary of the party, Kennedy Peretei, who confirmed the development, said some members of the SWC met with the leadership of the party, demanding the removal of the party chairman.

He said the leaders of the party had appealed to the SWC members to sheath their swords and work with the chairman for the development of the party ahead of next month’s election.

He said: “It is an internal issue, and it has been resolved. It is normal to have issues within the party. They can’t be talking about the removal of the party’s chairman a few days before elections no matter the gravity of the allegations. The timing is wrong.

“There was no talk about the chairman resigning or being suspended or removed. This is not a good time for such, as the state is looking forward to deliver for Atiku and other candidates of the party. We hope they will see reason and work for the success of the party in the elections.”