Ekiti PDP crisis worsens as faction sells party secretariat

Abiodun Nejo, Ado Ekiti

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase, on Thursday, called on the former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, to retrace his step on the sale of the new PDP state secretariat in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Oguntuwase said, “To the best of my knowledge as chairman of the party, and to the knowledge of many SWC members, we have not sold the secretariat.”

The state PDP chairman was reacting to a statement by Fayose that the party leadership was aware of the sale of the party state secretariat and that the money was paid in tranches into the PDP account.

Oguntuwase said the PDP would reclaim the secretariat if it had been fraudulently sold.

He said, “Fayose said or alleged that the secretariat of the party has been sold with the knowledge of the party chairman and members of the SWC. With due respect to his person, we consider the statement as misleading, malicious, and condemnable.

“We would have called it outright falsehood, but for the sake of modesty and for the future peace of this party, we will not use this language. What he said that we sold the property in collaboration with him, is cruel, untrue and slanderous. I believe that by that statement, he has committed libel on a high scale.

“I want to tell you that any document they say they have is absolute falsehood. It is true he (Fayose) approached me to sign a document, but I told him, it was going to be a disservice to the party. I still stand by that. I told him I can’t sign and I did not sign. God knows that that was exactly what transpired in his house.

“He even asked me what I want to take and I told him I can’t take such a sacrilegious offering. Our property, if it has been sold via fraud, shall be recovered through legal action that will be taken by this party.

“We have received assurances from loyal party leaders that they are with us. If they (the sellers) have put somebody’s signature, it must have been a signature they got through another transaction to have an appearance of legality.”

When contacted for reaction on Thursday, the media aide to Fayose, Lere Olayinka, said, “We are not going to take issues with anybody on that matter or any other matter concerning the party.”

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