Ogun PDP Crisis: Senator Kashamu Faction Split, As Bamgbose Insists Being The Chairman

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

Unperturbed at the recent pronouncement of his suspension last week, Samson Bamgbose, Chairman, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun State chapter has reiterated that he remains the bonafide party chairman in the state.

The long time crisis rocking the party orchestrated by two bigwigs, Hon. Ladi Adebutu and late Senator Buruji Kashamu over a period of time, but was soft-pedal has resurfaced once more over the purported suspension of its state chairman, Bamgbose.

The relatively peace anticipated at the party after the demise of Senator Kashamu could no longer hold as Bamgbose was suspended
by the State Working Committee of the party

Bamgbose was suspended alongside some other exco members at an extraordinary meeting held on November 9th, 2020 in the state over an alleged anti-party activities.

It could be recalled that there are two factional chairmen within the PDP in the state, that of Ladi Adebutu, being chaired by Sikirulai Ogundele and that of late Senator Buruji Kashamu of which Bamgbose is the Chairman. The two factions have been in serious loggerhead over which is the authentic faction.

At a media briefing held in Abeokuta on Monday, the embattled chairman described the suspension as illegal, saying that the executive has no constitutional right to suspend him.

He also stressed that the suspension was barbaric, and that those who suspended him has no prerogative power to summon Exco meeting as the party’s constitution provides.

According to Bamgbose, he narrated that Leke Shittu, Vivian Iniroje and Olasunkanmi Oyejide, PDP state publicity secretary who spearheaded the suspension have been suspended from the party since November 3rd, 2020.

The embattled Bamgbose expatriated that the suspension could have been announced because of his purported alliance with the Ladi Adebutu’s faction of the party.

He narrated: “Don’t I have the right to relate with Ladi Adebutu again. As long as Adebutu is still a member of the PDP and not in another party. We are still one. Is that an anti-party activity as they claimed.

“Before Senator Buruji Kashamu died, he told me to ensure that I unite all aggrieved members of the party. I was surprised when I received the news that I have been suspended at a time when I and other executive members were putting heads together to reconcile all aggrieved members within the party, so that PDP can come alive again.”

In his reaction, Olasunkanmi Oyejide who was one of those who spearheaded the suspension said: “For me I don’t know people you are referring to, is it the former chairman, Bamgbose who was suspended by the extraordinary meeting.

“How can someone who is not a member of the party suspend those who are within the party said the suspension was actually done in line with the party’s constitution.

“When we received the report of their (Bamgbose and others) anti-party activities, we invited them in line with the constitution of the party on three occasions to appear before disciplinary committee, but they declined.

“This party is a discipline party and is not open for vacuum. We adequately did it in line with the constitution of the party. So I don’t know how someone who is an outsider claiming to be the chairman of the party. When you are suspended that doesn’t mean they are saying you should go.”