Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has sparked discontent within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in Southwest following his alleged unilateral nomination of the replacement for the former National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Soji Adagunodo.
Ademola is alleged to have singlehandedly picked. Kamardeen Ajisafe, a lawyer to replace Adagunodo who died in May. Ajisafe, like Adagunodo, is from Osun State. NewMailNG gathered that members of the PDP zonal executive council are unhappy with the move as they were not carried along on the process.
While Adeleke’s letter was being treated in Abuja, the zonal executive committee met Saturday in its Ibadan office to ratify the zonal secretary Rahman Owokoniran as acting national vice chairman.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting by the zonal spokesman Chief Sanya Atofarati, the zonal executive said Owokoniran will act pending the election of a new zonal chairman.
The communique read in part: “Upon the vacancy created by the passing of the former National Vice Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, the Southwest Zonal Executive Committee officially ratified the appointment of Alhaji Rahman Owokoniran, Zonal Secretary, as the Acting National Vice Chairman pending the election of a replacement, in accordance with the provisions of the PDP constitution.”
When contacted about the nomination, Atofarati said the zonal executive was yet to receive a nomination of any candidate to replace the deceased Adagunodo.
NewMailNG learnt that the zonal executive is the organ empowered by the party’s constitution to elect members of the executive.
The zonal leadership in the communique also commended the zeal and resilience of the party’s candidates who are currently seeking justice for their mandates at the election petition tribunal.