Akala tears ballot papers at PDP South-west congress

Akala tears ballot papers at PDP South-west congress
There was pandemonium at the South- West zonal
congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held
in Ibadan yesterday as former Governor of Oyo State,
Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, dazed the leadership of
PDP as he angrily collected ballot papers from
delegates from the state and tore them.
The congress was held at the Apex Multipurpose Hall,
Agodi-Gate, Ibadan. Delegates to the congress were to
elect new zonal executives yesterday.
The apparent outburst of anger caused a scene at the
congress, which was attended by the notable PDP
leaders from the South-West geo-political zone. He
torethe ballot papers at about 6p.m.
Alao-Akala was shouting at the top of his voice as he
protested to meet the chairman of the screening com­
mittee, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, and a financier of
the party, Chief Buruji Kashamu, telling them that some
people were trying to play games with him.
The governor-elect of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose,
and other top members of the party quickly stood up
from their seats, went to meet Alao-Akala and
pacified him.
Checks by Sunday Sun revealed that Alao-Akala got
angry when he got the clue that the name of his
candidate for the zonal youth leadership position was
allegedly expunged from the list of contestants by
some PDP leaders.
A total of 418 delegates, Sunday Sun learnt, were
screened to vote at the congress. The breakdown of
the figure showed that Oyo State had 87 delegates,
Lagos – 62, Osun – 79, Ogun – 73, Ondo – 57 and
Ekiti – 60 delegates.
While the delegates from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and
Ondo States voted, the situation was not the same
with delegates from Oyo State.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) were also in attendance to monitor
the conduct of the election.
Notable PDP leaders at the congress included Minister
of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; Minister of State for
Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; Minister of State for
Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide;
former senate leader, Teslim Folarin; and PDP National
Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo.
Also in attendance were Senator Iyiola Omisore,
Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Gen Raji Rasaki (retd),
Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Senator Ayo Adesun, Senator
Hosea Ayoola Agboola, Hon Muraina Ajibola, Mr. Seyi
Makinde, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, party chairmen from
six states in the South-West and scores of others.
In an apparent search for peace, the Ekiti State gov­
ernor-elect, Mr. Fayose, at a time took the microphone
and appealed to all delegates and reporters to move
out of the hall so that elders of the party could hold a
meeting aimed at resolving the crisis