The crisis rocking the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened yesterday with the suspension of five members of the State Working Committee and the setting up of a seven-man Disciplinary Committee to probe allegation of anti-party activities levelled against them.
The affected persons are Tunde Olatunde, who until he was made the Acting state chairman by a faction, was the vice-chairman (North) and Tope Aluko, the state secretary.
Others are Mrs. Busola Oyebode (Women Leader), Tunji Olanrewaju (State Auditor) and Femi Esan (Assistant Secretary).
At the end of a State Executive Committee meeting held at the party’s State Secretariat, Ado-Ekiti, the Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, said the decision was in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution and directives from the National Working Committee of the party on the need to maintain discipline in the party.
Adebayo said the seven-man committee would be headed by the Legal Adviser of the party, Kolapo Kolade.
Other members are Babade Ige, Hon. Animasaun Bamidele, Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi, Smart Adebusuyi, Hon. Dele Ajibola and Mr. Kola Lawal.
Adebayo added that the affected officers had earlier been suspended at the ward level and that their ward chairmen had written the SWC on the development.
“It was on the strength of the letters conveying the resolutions of party members in all the wards of the affected officers that the SWC acted and conveyed a meeting of SEC.
However, Aluko and Olanrewaju addressed a press briefing, where they faulted the decision by the SWC led by Chief Idowu Faleye.
Aluko, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved SWC members, said Faleye did not have the required number of SWC members to suspend them.
