A group within Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party called ‘Osun PDP Legacy Group,’ had demanded the immediate resignation of the national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, for endorsing Senator Ademola Adeleke as the PDP candidate for the 2022 Osun governorship election.
The convener of the group, Funmiso Babarinde, in a statement made available to The PUNCH, said the purported endorsement of Adeleke by Secondus was against the PDP constitution.
The group said the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Diran Odeyemi, who represented Secondus at a prayer session organised by the Sunday Bisi-led Osun PDP executives last week, had informed party faithful at the event that the PDP chairman, had adopted Adeleke as the candidate of the party for Osun 2022 governorship election.
The statement read in parts, “Quoting Secondus, who spoke through Odeyemi, our national chairman said, it does not matter if anybody else comes out to contest against Ademola Adeleke. The fact remains that the National Chairman has no other candidate in mind but Adeleke.
“Odeyemi told the gathering he was representing Secondus. And we consider an endorsement for Adeleke by no other person but the national chairman as an aberration and unconstitutional. Owning to that, we believe Secondus is morally unfit to continue leading PDP. So, we are demanding his resignation with immediate effect.
“The stance of the PDP national chairman is unbecoming and we consider it another affront against Dr. Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation committee of the party.”
When contacted for clarification about the statement he made on behalf of the PDP chairman, Odeyemi said the PDP chairman had not committed any infraction with his position on the candidate of the party in the next governorship election in Osun.
Odeyemi said, “what the National Chairman said through me is not unusual. As a party, PDP is offering Adeleke another opportunity, having done well on the ballot the last time and he has the right to accept or decline.
“Till now, no one else, including Ogunbiyi that contested primary with him the last time has not shown interest. It is only Adeleke that we are looking at for now. But having said that, we are not closing our doors against others that are interested in vying for the PDP ticket.”

By Bola  Bamgbola