Crisis in Ondo PDP over screening

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday went through another round of crisis as the venue of the screening exercise for political nominees was turned into a battlefield when the old PDP members alleged they were being  marginalised  and prevented from participating in the exercise.

They alleged that officials sent to the state for the exercise which was held in a hotel in Akure, were not fair to them.
The protesting members told newsmen that they later discovered that the officials from Abuja led by  Mr Kenneth  Lucky  Imasuen  had gone to the Government House and later sneaked away from there after allegedly screening intending candidates from  the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led faction of the PDP in the state.

It took a team of policemen from the state command to bring the situation under control when the  aggrieved party members went wild.
When Daily Trust visited the scene yesterday at about 2 pm, the party members were seen blocking the road leading to the hotel, venue of the exercise.
The aggrieved members said  after obtaining their forms, they went with all necessary documents to the venue from all the local governments on Wednesday for screening  but were told  to come back on Thursday because it was already late.
“We were there as early as 6.30am yesterday only to wait till 2pm to now discover that the committee members had sneaked out of town,” they alleged
Hon Femi Adekanbi, chairman of the aspirants forum and one of the nominees said they were shocked to discover all the “funny things” happening in the party and  lamented that a one time peaceful party in the state is now divided.
Efforts to get the reaction of the state  party chairman, Ebenezer Alabi, to comment on the matter proved abortive as he was said to be  in Abuja.