*THE DISSIDENT GROUP IN OGUN PDP AND THEIR YO-YO DANCE IN BORROWED ROBES (Being reference to the poisonous chalice signed by Malik Ibitoye)* 


My attention has just been drawn to a puerile, vacuous and irritable statement signed by one Malik Ibitoye, on behalf of the dissident and increasingly desperate group led by Sikirulai Ogundele and sponsored by a politically naïve 'Sugar Daddy' with vaunting ambition.


I would have wished to give a robust engagement to the statement if it had any meaningful point, but most unfortunately, the statement is empty and a mere reactionary effort by Malik Ibitoye to justify his illusionary and feasibly nonexistent position. 


I assume the poisonous chalice from the Ogundele group is their reaction to my stated position on the just concluded National Convention, which I released two days ago and also a knee jerk reaction to our exchanges few hours ago on a WhatsApp loop called Ogun 2019 Governorship.

Now three issues are pertinent for me to briefly address:


Firstly, I want to unequivocally maintain my stated opinion on the National Convention which is not a minority opinion anyways, but an opinion that is shared by many Nigerians and have been echoed nationally - with the outcome of that convention widely observed to be a product of heavy financial inducement, political coercion and outright fraud that produced the Uche Secondus executive. I will not need to repeat the facts here again as my position on it has since become public document that can be referred to by anyone who cares to educate their minds on the subterfuge that happened in Abuja. 


Secondly, the legitimate leadership of Ogun state PDP, I maintain is still not in doubt and really under no genuine contention. Not minding the pretensions of Sikirulai Ogundele and his cheerleaders to leadership of Ogun PDP, the position of the extant laws of our party and valid pronouncement of the courts have made it abundantly clear that Engr Adebayo Dayo- led executive is sacrosanct and unassailable. Whereas, a dissident group may enjoy temporary support and protection from their friends at the National secretariat and therefore revel in borrowed robes, it is meaningless in the eyes of the law - which is firmly anchored on Adebayo Dayo executive via an FHC judgement that has not been repudiated till today. Noteworthy, this landmark judgement gave clear instructions to INEC and the Police; and we shall wait till 2019 to see the rule of law prevail over the rule of force/money just like it happened in 2011 and 2015.


Thirdly, one have observed, painfully though, the continuous penchant of Hon Sikirulai Ogundele to denigrate the personality of Senator Buruji Kashamu at the slightest opportunity he has to speak on Ogun PDP matters be it on Radio, TV or even social media. It is preposterous that he has not been able to elevate himself to the level befitting of the position he currently impersonates. I do not believe that it is difficult for him to talk on air without the urge to insult the Senator. Has anyone ever seen or heard Engr Dayo go low as to insult people when he speaks? A supposed leader and aspiring party chairman should be conciliatory in language and not join the Lilliputians prowling the WhatsApp loops; Otherwise, if the trend continues, it will be adduced that he perhaps lacks the cerebral capacity to engage issues on merit and thus prefer to go the cheap and worn-out route of character assassination to score unsustainable political points. 


Finally, those who seek party control through the backdoor in ogun state and those driven by naked ambition should have deep rethink and come to the table of reason. Unity is good and reconciliation is nice, but when people choose to be politically unreasonable then the law becomes the arbiter. The way forward is for Malik Ibitoye and his group of men in borrowed robes to revert to the position of the Law and stop this yo-yo dance, because the orchestra will soon end. 



Signed:

' *Bolaji Adeniji* 

_State Publicity Secretary, Ogun PDP_