As the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) struggles for stability and relevance, especially in the South West, the unending battle of supremacy between the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde and former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose seems to be getting messier.

Fayose has been at loggerheads with Governor Makinde over the latter’s role in the Ekiti PDP crisis as well as the leadership of the party in the South West.

While the state Chairmen of the party in Ekiti, Osun, Ogun and Lagos have aligned with Fayose, the party chairmen in Oyo and Ondo States are on the side of Makinde.

Recently, Isaac Fayose, who is the younger brother of the former Ekiti State Governor, in a video that went viral, stated that Makinde’s predisposition for betrayal and disloyalty will soon see him out of the gubernatorial office.

Going into great detail to prop his argument, the younger Fayose narrated how he brought Makinde to his brother, Ayo Fayose, and helped Makinde win the blessing of Oyo State PDP kingmaker, Rasheed Ladoja.

Isaac Fayose further related how he personally sponsored Makinde’s gubernatorial election, securing him over 50,000 deciding votes from Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Isaac alleged that despite all his efforts on Governor Makinde, the only way he (Makinde), rendered gratitude, was to send his ‘e-rats’ sniffing after his finances, even accusing him of looting state funds.

Sources within the party, had said in line with the party’s constitution, Makinde, as the only PDP governor in the South West, is the leader of the party and should be given preference when decisions regarding the party are to be taken.

He is said to also have the responsibility of organising the party and leading the assault for the reclaiming of other South West states from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, the Fayose’s camp opposed Makinde’s alleged interference in the affairs of the PDP in Ekiti State. According to them, the Oyo governor who sees Fayose as a threat is doing everything possible to take the control of the party from him and hand it over to Senator Abiodun Olujimi.

The crisis escalated last month, November 11 precisely, when a zonal faction, led by Governor Makinde, set up a reconciliation committee headed by a former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Ibadan, which was expected to bring together aggrieved factions of the party in the zone.

Two days later, the faction led by Fayose also set up a parallel zonal reconciliation committee headed by Engr. Femi Babalola. Other members of the committee are Chief Kolapo Ogunjobi, Ahmed Okandeji Mustapha, Chief Idowu Odeyemi and Chief Tunde Akindehin.

Though, Fayose, once said he had no personal issues with Governor Makinde over the running of the party in the South West.

Fayose, who spoke at his Afao Ekiti residence in Ekiti State as part of activities for his 60th birthday anniversary, last month, said, “There is nothing to worry about. If Governor Seyi Makinde and I have issues, Nigerians should not worry themselves about that; it is not personal. There is no regional government. Every power lies in the state. Structures in Ekiti are different from structures in Oyo; structures in Oyo are different from structures in Lagos.

“I was the one who went to flag off Governor Makinde’s campaign in Ogbomoso. So, I cannot work for his failure. Whether he is backing Senator Biodun Olujimi or not, the fact remains that the struggle for the control of party structures in Ekiti has come and gone.

“We won the congresses, but they are in court. If the court says it is Olujimi that is right, we would follow her and if the court says she has no case, they should join us so that we can move the party forward. Let us pursue our interests legitimately in manners that will create peace in the region.”

Last Saturday, the Ekiti State chapter of the PDP chided Makinde for mocking Fayose, by what it called his politically motivated trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Ekiti State PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, advised the Oyo State governor to display maturity expected from somebody occupying his exalted office and rise above childishness and pettiness.

The party said: “It is rather unfortunate that someone like Governor Makinde, who was never a stable member of the PDP could use EFCC trial to mock Fayose, who was one of the last men standing for the party after it lost power in 2015.

“We would have ignored his display of political childishness and pettiness, but by choosing to mock Fayose, who is only being persecuted for standing firmly by the PDP in its hours of troubles, Engr. Seyi Makinde has shown to the public that one can be a governor and still not be a leader.” (Daily Independent)

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