Ado-Ekiti—Former Senate Minority leader, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi has thrown her weight behind the newly constituted caretaker committee for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State.
The party’s National Working Committee had constituted a seven-man caretaker committee chaired by a former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Hosea Agboola to oversee the affairs of the party pending the election of a new executive for a period, not more than 90 days.
This was the sequel to the expiration of Barr. Gboyega Oguntuase-led State Executive Committee and the inability of the party to conduct the State congress scheduled for March 24 owing to the controversy trailing its ward congress and outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
In a telephone chat with journalists on Friday in Ado-Ekiti, Olujimi stated that the development was apt and imperative to prevent a vacuum in the leadership of the party due to the inability to conduct the congress to elect new party officials.
“The NWC has not committed any infractions for constituting a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the party. They only acted based on the dictates of the party constitution and this was done to prevent a vacuum.
“I believe the committee will cease to exist as soon as validly recognised congresses are conducted.
The federal lawmaker, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, urged the caretaker committee to ensure that equity fairness and inclusiveness manifest in its operation and conduct.
She added that the best that can be done at the moment is to ensure a level playing field for all party members in the running of the party’s affairs.
The PDP Chieftain said she held no grudges against anybody but only wanted to end the era of impunity in the party by reforming the state chapter in such a way that the principles of internal democracy, which, according to her, forms a critical part of the ideals of PDP, would be observed.
She insisted that the ward executives inaugurated by her remain the authentic officials of the party, vowing to frustrate plots by ‘some spoilers’ to thwart the dream of the party forming the next government in the state come 2022.
She, however, advised the NWC to initiate a genuine peace-strategy to salvage the soul of the party and its architectural structure from collapse by reconciling aggrieved party’s members, rather than taking sides in the crisis embroiling the Ekiti PDP.
She added that peaceful co-existence and unity of purpose among members of the party remained paramount to ensure the party takes over the reign of power from the All Progressive Congress in the state.