OYO State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to the former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, have disagreed over Makinde’s call on the party’s National Working Committee to caution its National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem.
Makinde had at a media briefing at the Government House in Agodi, Ibadan, on Thursday urged the NWC to caution the legal adviser against taking actions that could jeopardise PDP’s congresses in the South-West.
The governor said, “I came here to brief you; first, on the meeting of the South-West caucus of the PDP that was held here two days ago and also to discuss briefly the happenings within the PDP National Working Committee as it relates to the upcoming South-West zonal congress of the party.
“At the meeting, we reaffirmed the zoning arrangement for the positions of the South-West zonal executives. Also, each state by now has been able to put together a unity list, which we intend to take to the congress proper.
“But I heard of disturbing news that our National Working Committee is planning to postpone the South-West zonal congress because some people went to court to complain about the location for the conduction of the congress.
“There are three things that are coming out of the court move. One, I want to say that PDP has moved from allowing within its fold reactionary elements to hold sway.
“Maybe in the past, it was possible for elements within PDP to collude with the NWC to file cases where they are the plaintiffs and defendants. And they also try to corrupt the judicial system in Nigeria. That will not be allowed because this is a PDP that is getting ready to take the mantle of leadership in this country.
“We want to provide leadership that is above board for the country and we cannot be seen within the PDP to do something that will compromise any aspect of governance in Nigeria.”
In response, a faction of the PDP loyal to Fayose disagreed with Makinde.
Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, in a statement in Ibadan on Thursday said Makinde erred by speaking against the national legal adviser the way he did.
Olayinka said the national secretariat was at liberty to choose a safe venue for congresses.
He said, “The legal adviser and other national officers as well as leaders of the party that Makinde is now disrespecting were there to help him when he returned to the party in November 2017 after he had contested the governorship election as candidate of the Social Democratic Party.
“The governor needs to be told that the party is bigger than him and he can’t be ordering NWC members around as if they are his aides.”
