Ogun PDP chieftain flays Okupe’s attack on Obasanjo

Posted by admin Headlines Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

mate of the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) governorship candidate in last year’s elections, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, yesterday flayed former Presidential Spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe’s criticism of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was reacting to Okupe’s statements during a factional meeting of the state party in Ijebu-Igbo on Monday, where the former presidential spokesman blamed the dwindling fortunes of the state party on Obasanjo’s leadership style.

Oladunjoye, a former Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, said Okupe’s comments betrayed the frustration of a “political jobber and office seeker.”

Describing Okupe as an “agent provocateur,” he said the media attack on Obasanjo by Okupe was “needless and baseless.”

In a statement, Oladunjoye said: “It is regrettable that Chief Okupe, a trained doctor, has not practised for over 20 years, but rather, he is relying solely on hustling, political appointments and patronages. This explains his new role of devil’s advocate.

“I urge him to take Obasanjo’s advice that a politician must have a second address and not rely solely on politics for livelihood. Obasanjo is not a state leader, but a national leader in the PDP, and the Chairman, Board of Trustees.

“As such, Okupe’s unguided blackmail and political venom against the Balogun of Owu Kingdom will not work.”

Dismissing the “Acting Leader” position conferred on Okupe at the Ijebu-Igbo meeting of the Buruji Kashamu faction, Oladunjoye said: “The ‘Acting Leader’ title conferred on Okupe is not only laughable; it underscores the desperation of the group and the ignorance of its chief promoter, who is a trader, rather than a politician.

“It confirms the public knowledge that Okupe has no political base and is in search of relevance and financial salvation.

“The title of ‘Acting Leader’ is unknown to the PDP’s constitution at all strata. The established practice is that at the state level, the governor or former governor is the leader of the party.

“Where the party has no governor or former governor, the leadership caucus of the party meets to decide who the leader will be. This was done last June in Abeokuta and Gen. Adetunji Olurin (rtd) was unanimously appointed as the leader of the party, with Okupe and Kashamu in attendance. “Attempting to contest the leadership of the party with Olurin is like a comical show of a dwarf attempting to rub shoulders with a six-footer.”

On factions within Ogun PDP, Oladunjoye said disputes cannot be wished away in any political setting. He said efforts are ongoing to reconcile dissenting groups.

-Sunwp_posts