The disquiet within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, is taking another dimension as the Chairman of the Party, Sikirullahi Ogundele has disowned a stakeholders' meeting called at the instance of the Party’s Secretary, Dr Sunday Solarin.

HorizonTimes gathered that Solarin had sent out an invitation for a general stakeholders meeting scheduled for Wednesday at the Party’s Secretariat.

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The letter which was wrongly dated ‘29th April 2027’ was also signed by one Samson Kayode Bamgbose on behalf of the Chairman of the Party.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by HorizonTimes read, “In our usual manner and culture in Ogun State PDP, we are obliged to invite the leaders of our party to the 2nd quarters stakeholders’ meeting scheduled to hold as follows:

“The stakeholders' meeting is to discuss the health and the progress of the Party across the various Local Government in the State as agreed by the leadership of the Party.”

But the Chairman, in a press release personally signed by him, disowned the meeting as illegal, saying neither Solarin nor Bamgbose has his authority to call for the meeting in line with party’s constitution.

The statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to an invitation letter extended to party Leaders/ Stakeholders for a meeting scheduled to hold on 1st May 2024, at the State Party Secretariat Abeokuta at 11 am.

“As the State party Chairman, I have not authorised anyone of the undersigned to call for Stakeholders meeting.

“The undersigned has no written authorization from me or any constitutional authority to issue such invitation.

“The Constitution of our Great Party is explicit on the process and modalities for calling relevant party meetings. Sec 21(3), Sec 35(1).

“The Constitution of our great party duly empowers the Chairman at all levels to invoke party meetings.

“To this end, all members of our great party in Ogun State are hereby advised to ignore and disregard the illegal invitation issued and signed by one impostor, Hon. Samson Kayode Bamgbose who claimed to have sign on my behalf and the State party Secretary who does not have my instructions and authority to do so.

“Once again, dear party faithful, in line with the statues of our constitution, all formal and informal meetings shall be communicated through the express directive of my office.”

Efforts to get the Secretary for his reaction proved unsuccessful as all calls put across to his mobile line were neither picked not returned.

Both Ogundele and Solarin are believed to be loyalists, until recently, of the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the last election, Ladi Adebutu, who is also believed to be the major financial of the party in Ogun State.

The recent crisis in the party became public, last week, when the party Chairman blamed Adebutu for the loss of the parry in the last elections.

Ogundele made the allegations while addressing members and leaders of the party during a meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital ahead of the party congress.

He accused Adebutu of being responsible for the crisis in the party, saying the reason the party was not in government was because of Adebutu’s high-handedness and disregard for party leadership.

He said, “The reason why we are not in power today is because of Hon. Ladi Adebutu. 90 per cent of the reasons why we are not in government today were caused by Hon. Ladi Adebutu and this is because of his high-handedness. He does not listen to anybody’s advice.

“Adebutu has been the major reason why the party has been failing since the 2019 election. I don’t think Adebutu himself is interested in becoming the governor.

“Atiku came to Abeokuta twice to plead with Adebutu that we should put OGD (former governor Gbenga Daniel) on the ballot, but he refused. If we had put OGD (Daniel) on the ballot, the party would have won many seats at the election.

“Everybody was aware that Atiku came to Ogun State twice to beg him (Adebutu). Obasanjo too begged him, but he refused to shift ground.”

But reacting, Adebutu described Ogundele’s outburst as nothing but a “foul cry from a man after his gains”.

Adebutu, who spoke through his spokesman, Afolabi Orekoya, said he was not disturbed by Ogundele’s allegations and would not join issues with him.

“The chairman is just on his own. Out of 57 state executive council members, if it is only the chairman who is saying that, then you know that there is more to it.

“We are not joining issues with him, he is the only one on that journey, and he was the only state executive member that was at the meeting out of 57. That is to tell you that it is more of his thinking.”