...Party move seen as rejection of Wike-backed factional structure opposed by Aisida-led exco
The festering crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State took a fresh turn at the weekend as the party in Ipele Ward 7, Owo Local Government Area, suspended Hon. Olaniyi Ogungbuji over alleged gross misconduct and anti-party activities.
The suspension, which took effect on Saturday, was conveyed in a letter jointly signed by the Ward Chairman, Titus Willer, and the Ward Secretary, Osuntuyi Babajide.
The development is widely seen by party faithful as a major escalation in the internal battle for the soul of the PDP in Ondo State, coming days after Ogungbuji was announced by the Nyesom Wike-aligned faction in the controversial move that triggered fresh tension within the state chapter.
Ogungbuji’s announcement by the faction had drawn sharp resistance from the recognised Ondo State leadership of the party, with the State Chairman, Barr. Victor Modupe Aisida, firmly rejecting the move and insisting that the duly constituted state executive remained intact and functional.
Aisida had, in a strongly-worded reaction, dismissed claims of any valid dissolution or restructuring of the Ondo PDP leadership, describing such moves as unconstitutional, misleading and incapable of displacing the legitimate organs of the party in the state.
Against that backdrop, Saturday’s suspension of Ogungbuji by his own ward is being interpreted in political circles as a significant grassroots repudiation of the factional arrangement and a direct rebuff to the forces seeking to foist parallel authority on the party in Ondo State.
Sources within the party said the ward leadership acted in response to what it considered inconsistent with party discipline and loyalty, particularly in the wake of the deepening division occasioned by the emergence of rival tendencies within the state chapter.
Although the full details of the allegations contained in the suspension letter were not immediately made public, insiders said the action was tied to Ogungbuji’s alleged involvement in activities considered injurious to the unity and stability of the party at a time when the Ondo PDP is battling to contain a widening leadership crisis.
The suspension is expected to further inflame tensions within the opposition party, where stakeholders have continued to trade positions over legitimacy, party supremacy and allegiance to competing national interests.
Political observers said the decision by Ipele Ward 7 may strengthen the position of the Aisida-led state executive, especially as it suggests that grassroots structures are beginning to openly reject attempts to legitimise parallel actors within the party.
As of the time of filing this report, Hon. Olaniyi Ogungbuji had yet to publicly respond to the suspension.
The latest development is likely to intensify the struggle for control of the Ondo PDP, with many party members now watching closely to see whether the local government and state organs will uphold the ward’s decision and what implications it may have for the wider factional contest in the state.
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