They lambasted the erstwhile chairman and accused him of taking bribes, adding that the governor should prepare to end his game in the state. “Alabi only resigned to his pocket because he has already been bribed. Mimiko can never have his way here. He thinks it is wise by leading his cabinet to Abuja and making his commissioner a 'Chairman' over us," an angry member said.
A crisis has broken out in the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State following the resignation of Mr. Ebenezer Alabi as its Chairman; a SaharaReporters correspondent reports from Akure.
Our correspondent, who visited the state secretariat of the party this evening on Oyemekun Road, said party members have rejected the resignation and vowed to work against the newly-inaugurated executive sworn in today in Abuja.
The aggrieved members have also formed a parallel executive headed by a factional chairman, Olu Agunloye.
A source that spoke to SaharaReporters on the phone this evening said Mr. Agunloye is from the Ondo central part of the state and would be coordinating tomorrow (Saturday) the House of Representatives primary elections in the state.
According to the source, the state party still stands by the court judgment allowing the Alabi-led executive to retain his position.
Some members told our correspondent that with Alabi's resignation, the state would be made ungovernable for Mimiko and his executive.
They lambasted the erstwhile chairman and accused him of taking bribes, adding that the governor should prepare to end his game in the state.
“Alabi only resigned to his pocket because he has already been bribed. Mimiko can never have his way here. He thinks it is wise by leading his cabinet to Abuja and making his commissioner a 'Chairman' over us.
“If truly you are a reporter pass the message to him that ‘he is a joker’ and he has already played his last game in Ondo State and cannot continue to have his way,” an angry member said.
The members have also planned to address journalists on their next line of action.
On Tuesday, the party’s State Financial Secretary, Chief Wemimo Olaniran, the State Legal Adviser, Mr. Yomi Akinfemiwa, the State Vice-Chairman, Ondo-Central, Mr. Adeduro Charles, and the State Auditor, Mr. Akindulureni Sampson, all resigned from their positions after they were bribed by the governor to step down and frustrate Mr. Alabi to do same.
Mr. Alabi, a Chairman of the party in Ondo state, resigned on Friday morning after he was pressured by the presidency.
Immediately after his resignation, a new executive led by Mr. Clement Faboyede, a Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services in Mimiko's cabinet was inaugurated at the National Secretariat of the party, in Wadata House, Abuja.
Others inaugurated were: Fatai Adams as Deputy Chairman; Ibine Oyedele (Secretary), Akin Akinbobola (Organising Secretary), Banji Okunomo (Publicity Secretary). Sources at the meeting had told Saharareporters that Alabi-led executive didn’t only succumb to pressure but were bribed by the embattled governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko.
Confidential sources at the Ondo State government house also told our correspondent that Mimiko had traveled to Abuja since the beginning of the week with ‘loaded cash’ in millions to bribe the Abuja bigwigs in his favor.
Some members have also threatened mass defection to the opposition party with a resolution to work against the PDP in the coming presidential election.