The hope of power changing hands in Ekiti State’s branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is already unsettling ‘principalities’ accused of holding it down from playing its opposition roles and presenting credible candidates that will challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Oke Ayoba Government House in 2026.
 
Since 2018, Ekiti PDP has been in shambles because of crises among its leaders jostling for the soul of the party. Prominent members, who could not bear the shenanigan and self-interest that defined politics of some of the leaders, left in droves to contribute to its dismal performance in elections.  
  
Ekiti PDP that once controlled all elective positions in the state suddenly became a shadow of its old self, and could not boast of even a councillorship position today.
 
Recall that the unprecedented crisis has defied all troubleshooting efforts by the national leadership of the party. However, in a bold and unprecedented move, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party appears to be ready to restore discipline and sanity to the PDP by setting up a caretaker committee believed to have excluded loyalists of ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose.
 
Fayose, who has been in control of the party structure in the state, is at the centre of the fresh crisis by endorsing the governor of the state, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, a member of All Progressives Congress (APC) for a second term. His position is considered by many as foreclosing the chances of PDP to have a credible candidate for the 2026 governorship poll in the state.
 
The former governor is also being accused of other anti-party activities including his role against PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
 
Despite his alleged anti-party activities, Fayose is still bent on fixing his loyalists to head the party structure from ward to state. However, the decision of the NEC to postpone the congress in Ekiti and appoint a caretaker committee is said to be a right decision to give the party a new lease of life.
 
In the weeks leading to the congresses scheduled to hold in July, various tendencies in the party reignited their old rivalries for the epic battle to control the party. While a group led by Fayose known as Osoko Political Assembly (OPA) and a handful of other party leaders wanted the state chairman of the party to come from South Senatorial district “in the interest of justice,” other group led by Senator Biodun Olujimi kicked against the move. They routed for a northern senatorial zone to produce the next chairman of the party.
 
Olujimi’s group had further gone ahead to endorse former Senatorial candidate of the party in the last election, Funso Ayeni, as their preferred candidate. They said Ayeni is capable and has what it takes to lead the party to victory in the future elections.
 
Despite division among members on which zone to produce the party chairman, the recently dissolved Alaba Agboola-led SWC, which was also polarised, agreed to adopt the policy of swapping positions to ensure fairness and equity among the three senatorial zones in the state. They adopted a proposal from Fayose’s group that southern districts should produce the next chairman of the party.
 
But, this decision didn’t enjoy support of some members of SWC, not to talk of many that saw Agboola as Fayose’s loyalist. However, some southern senatorial district leaders kicked against zoning the chairmanship position to their zone because of their quest to produce the next governor of the state in 2026.
 
The leaders, who met at the residence of former acting governor, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, in a communiqué also pledged their support to the leadership of former senate minority leader, Biodun Olujimi.  

While another group of southern stakeholders including former deputy governor, Professor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, former House of Representatives member, Adesegun Adekola; former Attorney General of the state, Kolapo Kolade, SAN; current deputy state chairman, Lanre Omolase, who countered the position of the leaders, agreed with the zoning proposal by SWC for the Southern zone to produce the chairman.
 
While the stakeholders were still canvassing for their different positions with no agreement in sight, NWC of the party announced postponement of the scheduled ward, local government and state congresses in some states including Ekiti.
 
The National Organising Secretary of PDP, Umar Bature, in a letter addressed to the state party chairman and dated July 25, 2024 said the congresses had been postponed indefinitely, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been notified of the development. He said “a new date will be communicated to you once it is fixed.”
 
Though no reason was given for the cancellation of the congresses, however, indications emerged that it was because of litigation by Fayose’s group to stop the exercise. It was learnt that the group felt that should the congresses be allowed to proceed as scheduled, they may be schemed out.

But in a bold move by NWC of the PDP to rescue and redeem the battered image of the party in the state, it took advantage of the expiration of the tenure of SWC on August 31, 2024 to announce a caretaker committee for the party .
 
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement said the 20-member committee would oversee the party’s activities in Ekiti State for up to 90 days (three months) or until a new executive committee is elected.
 
Inside sources that did the analysis of the composition of the committee told The Guardian that Fayose’s wing and influence might have been whittled down completely. The source said not a single individual has any link whatsoever to Fayose among the 20 members.
  
In fact, it was learnt that the caretaker chairman and secretary who are from Oyo State were nominated by Governor Seyi Makinde, a known ally of ex-Governor Nyelsom Wike and Fayose. However, going by the actions and pronouncements of Makinde recently, it is believed in many quarters that he may have parted ways with them.
 
Recall that the leadership of the party has also directed Wike to appear before its disciplinary committee over alleged anti party activities. To many political observers, the party may have made up its mind to do away with Wike and his associates including Fayose believing to be sabotaging the party through their open support for APC.
 
Also, the composition of the caretaker committee seems to have favoured Olujimi’s group. A member of the group and former member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Wale Ayeni described the composition as a welcome development and a good riddance to bad rubbish. He said that the party can now truly be repositioned for future elections.
 
Expectedly Fayose’s group has criticised the NWC of the party over the composition of the caretaker committee. In a statement in Ado Ekiti, media aide to ex-governor, Lere Olayinka, described the composition of the caretaker committee as an “exercise of the NWC of the party’s discretion, which will not foreclose the exercise of the discretion of others.”
 
Olayinka said Fayose’s supporters would, at the appropriate time, exercise their discretion just as NWC had done. He said: “The NWC has a discretion, and they have exercised it. However, everybody who has discretion cannot foreclose the counter discretion the other parties can also exercise. We don’t have powers over their discretion, and at the appropriate time, they won’t have powers over our own discretion too.
 
“Furthermore, discretion and action operate within the short, medium and long term. At the appropriate time, those of us who are with Fayose in the PDP will freely and openly exercise our discretion.”
 
However, the chairman of the caretaker, Dare Adeleke has advised members of the party that, “It is no more business as usual,” and warned that, “Every anti-party activity by anyone, no matter how highly placed, shall attract serious consequences.”
 
He said, “Please note that speaking against the party both in private and public places constitutes anti-party activities. This and other negative behaviours against the party shall be thoroughly sanctioned without delay. Please be advised.”
 
While assuring all members that his doors are opened to receive quality and genuine counsel, he warned that he will not tolerate “political gossip and all forms of shenanigans capable of dividing us further.”
 
Buoyed by the latest development, and in the effort to consolidate its firm hold on the party, Olujimi led group welcomed the Australia based medical Doctor and politician, Wole Oluyede into PDP shortly after receiving news of the composition of the caretaker committee.
 
Oluyede who is believed to be nursing governorship ambition has promised to support the party financially. According to him, the newly constituted caretaker committee would receive a monthly subvention of N500,000 from him, while the 177 wards would get a monthly subvention of N1.7 million.
 
However, a ranking member of the party, Olatunji Dare who spoke with The Guardian, said the last had not have been heard from Fayose and his group. He said going by the antecedent of the former governor, he would not accept defeat without a fight. “My candid opinion is, rather than calling Fayose’s bluff, the leadership of the party should find a way of reconciling all members who are aggrieved for one reason or the other so that the party could move forward.”