Osun 2022: Former minister calls for resignation of Adagunodo, Odeyemi over Adeleke’s adoption

- Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi has asked the chairman of PDP in Osun state, Soji Adagunodo and Diran Odeyemi,who is a national officer of the party to resign their positions

- Olasunkanmi accused the duo of violating the party's constitution for adopting Senator Adeleke as sole candidate for 2022 governorship election in the state

- But in his reaction, Odeyemi described Olasunkanmi as an expired politician who does not understand the party's constitution

A former minister of youth development and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Osun state, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, has called for the resignation of the party's chairman in the state, Soji Adagunodo and the national deputy publicity secretary of the party, Diran Odeyemi.

Reporter in Osun, Sola Adetona, reports that the former federal lawmaker made the statement on Thursday, July 11, while reacting to the adoption of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the sole candidate of the party for 2022 governorship election in the state.

It was gathered that some PDP leaders had at a Thanksgiving programme held at the country home of the Adeleke in Ede, adopted Senator Adeleke as the sole candidate for the next gubernatorial election in the state.

Reacting to the adoption, Olasunkanmi said the next breaking news I’m expecting is the voluntary resignation Soji Adagunodo as the chairman of Osun state PDP and Diran Odeyemi as our deputy national publicity secretary.

“It is a big shame that both of them were not only present at the organized charade disguised as prayers but were both quoted to have made statements that are inconsistent with democratic principles and practices.

“And more importantly, Dr. Deji Adeleke, has through this appropriate response to their maverick ways of playing politics of the stomach publicly exposed their roles leading up to the 2018 election. Therefore if they both have any honour left individually and collectively, they should voluntarily resign now. They have lost all moral and political rights to continue to lead our party, both at state and national levels."

Odeyemi, however, in his reaction to Olasunkanmi's call for his resignation, described him as an outdated party’s stalwart.

He said Olasunkanmi must have been misinformed by calling for their resignation basically because they attended a thanksgiving programme at Adeleke’s house in Ede on Tuesday, July 9.

Odeyemi said if the former minister got his information right, he would know that it was not the party leadership that moved the motion for adoption of Senator Adeleke and it wasn’t the party leadership that supported the motion but a leader of the party from his federal constituency who has a right to his personal opinion at such a political gathering.

"Our presence is not enough for him to justify his allegation that we moved the party secretariat to Ede. As a politician who knows the value of money expended, pre and post gubernatorial election by the Adelekes, Senator Akinlabi was expected to be the first person that everybody should meet at Ede on that day, even considering what the family had done for his political elevation which shot him up the ladder in Osun politics.

"As a reminder, Senator Akinlabi’s senatorial and ministerial positions were purely because of the magnanimity of the late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke when the entire party hierarchy had concluded to trade his senatorial ambition to pacify Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke which the latter refused on moral ground and he eventually emerged and was elected.

"That when Senator Akinlabi contested against Senator Ademola Adeleke for Osun west senatorial bye-election, he demanded, claiming that he had spent fortune on the campaign and was paid millions of Naira by the same Dr. Deji Adeleke before he agreed to step down from the senatorial race," he said.

Meanwhile, newsman had previously reported that the billionaire businessman, Deji Adeleke, said his younger brother, Senator Ademola Adeleke, was forced by the leaders of PDP to contest the governorship election held in the state on September 22, 2018

Source: Legit news