Without exaggeration, things have gone awry with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State since Governor Olusegun Mimiko officially dumped the Labour Party ((LP) for the PDP three weeks ago.
The major victim of Mimiko’s defection is the party’s state executive committee under the leadership of Mr Ebenezer Alabi who worked hard to strengthen the party that nearly became extinct few years back.
Before the defection of Mimiko, it had been rumoured that the National Working Committee (NWC) would favour him in the distribution of party’s offices.
This forced the state executive to drag the NWC to Federal High Court, Abuja to seek legal redress on the alleged move by Mimiko to hijack the PDP.
But, despite the ruling of an Abuja High Court that the status quo should be maintained in the Ondo PDP, Governor Olusegun Mimiko had established a parallel secretariat of the party.
The parallel secretariat is located at No 3, Bishop Fagun Road Alagbaka Akure adjacent to the First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
After Mimiko had defected to the PDP, he allegedly sought the dissolution of the structures of the party in the state.
But, the Ebenezer Alabi-led State Executive Committee approached an Abuja High Court, praying it to stop the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party from dissolving the structures of the party in Ondo State.
The court, presided over by Justice Oriji ruled that the status quo should be maintained and adjourned the case to tomorrow for further hearing.
When contacted on phone for comment on the parallel state secretariat of the party opened by Mimiko, Alabi said it was clear that Mimiko was seeking to destroy the party in the state with the opening of the parallel secretariat.
Describing it as illegal, Alabi called on members of the PDP not to have anything to do with the parallel secretariat.
He said: “It is now clear that Governor Mimiko is seeking to destroy the PDP in Ondo State. We accepted his defection to the party but what we are saying is that due process must be followed in running the affairs of the party.
“The last time we met President Goodluck Jonathan, we were told to go and resolve all the issues brought up by Mimiko’s defection to the PDP. Immediately we left Abuja, Mimiko went to open an illegal secretariat.
“His action has revealed the kind of person he is and how desperate he is to by-pass due process. We are no longer interested in negotiating with him.
“Members of our party should not go to the illegal secretariat. Our secretariat is at No 86, Oyemekun Road, Akure. We have been using the place since 1999 and nobody can change it now.”
As the controversy over the parallel secretariat raged on, the NWC announced the dissolution of the Ondo State executive and appointed Dare Adeleke as the new chairman of the caretaker committee that will oversee the affairs of the party.
When our correspondent visited the old PDP secretariat, the building was under lock and key. None of the party members was seen around the vicinity.
Fierce-looking mobile police men and some operatives of the Directorate of Security Service (DSS) kept watch on the premises.
However, at the Mimiko’s new PDP secretariat Alagbaka, workers were busy.
The secretariat was opened to members of the public while one of the members of staff stated that all those aggrieved members of the PDP would soon accept their fate and consult the new secretariat for official matters.
The PDP executive protested the deployment of armed policemen to effect a forcible shutdown of its secretariat along Oyemekun Road, Akure.
They described the development as unnecessary, even as they queried the justification of their action.
The party noted that the dissolution of the PDP executive by NWC did not, in any manner, justify police sealing off its offices and hinder all administrative duties.
It called for immediate re-opening of the secretariat to prevent crisis.
However, the chairman of the caretaker committee, Adeleke said the secretariat would remain closed for now.
He said the step was to avoid unauthorised access and possible destruction or pilfering from the secretariat after the dissolution of the state executive by the NWC.
Adeleke assured all members of the PDP in the state of its unwavering commitment to the promotion of justice, peace and fair play.
He called on all aggrieved members to remain calm and be law-abiding.
However, with a strong petition sent to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) through the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Eke, the State Police Command had no option than to re-open the shut PDP secretariat after 24 hours. The two secretariats are being used simultaneously; the new by Governor Mimiko’s supporters and the old secretariat by the aggrieved members of the PDP.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wole Ogodo said the police men were drafted to the old PDP secretariat along Oyemekun Road to provide protection since there was a change of baton. They would be there to maintain peace and orderliness.
Ogodo, however, maintained that their presence was not to intimidate PDP supporters or residents in the area.
The crisis in the Ondo State PDP has remained contentious as its State Executive Committee (SEC) headed by Alabi said the purported dissolution of his committee was only on the pages of newspapers.
He insisted that the committee is in total control of the party and its affairs.
Alabi faulted the recent meeting hosted by Governor Mimiko at the Government House, Alagbaka with few PDP leaders where they agreed on power sharing between the LP and the PDP.
He said: “It is a factional meeting where eminent PDP leaders such as its 2012 governorship candidate, Olusola Oke, former Minister of Defence, Tokunbo Kayode and Jimoh Ibrahim were not invited. Whatever agreement they reached at the meeting was not binding on the state executive.”
The state executive had conducted a successful ward congress.
Both security operatives, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP team from its National Secretariat, Abuja witnessed the exercise.
