#EKITI #PDP CRISIS: VIDEO UNCOVERS OATH TAKING IN FAYOSE'S CAMP

…MEMBERS SWEAR THAT THEY SHOULD DIE SUDDENLY IF THEY BETRAY FAYOSE

The factional crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State got messier on Monday with alleged secret oath taking scandal rocking the camp of immediate past Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

A viral video showing Fayose’s loyalists in the factional crisis swearing that the should die untimely if they ever betray the former governor has been causing ripples in various online platforms.

Some chieftains and members of the party in Ijero Local Government Area were seen in the video swearing to a traditional oath and cursing themselves that they should would die if they betray Fayose.

The exercise is believed to be scheduled to be carried out among members of the faction loyal to Fayose in all the 16 local government areas of the state in a bid to secure their loyalty in the battle to control the party structure.

Fayose is locked in a bitter struggle for the control of the party with the lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Biodun Olujimi’s.

The footage of the secret oath taking has sparked debates among PDP members, members of other political parties and other observers on various social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp since it went viral since early on Monday.

Supporters of the two factions who reacted to the trending ritual video hurled verbal abuses at one another.

It remained unclear at the time of filing the story the identity of who leaked the ritual video or the intention of sharing it on the social media.

Our reporter could not also confirmed at press time whether party members seen in the footage took the oath under duress or they did it on their own volition.

According to the video studied by our reporter, each party member would stand up, mentioned his name and swore that he or she would be buried in the ground if he or she betrays Fayose.

Although the PDP members who were cursing themselves in the course of swearing to the oath did not mention Fayose’s name personally, they merely referred to him by his political nickname of “Oshoko.”

The oath, in the footage, was administered by a party chieftain whose face was not seen in the video who was calling party members one by one to swear to be loyal to Fayose or die suddenly.

The oath taken in Yoruba is translated thus: “I…..(the name of the swearer), I hereby swear that am wholeheartedly loyal to Oshoko, I also swear that I should die and be buried in the ground if I ever betray Oshoko.”

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti last week refrained from interfering in the last ward congresses held in the state in the suit filed by the Olujimi faction.

Both sides are laying claim to victory maintaining that the court verdict favoured them.

The Ekiti PDP oath taking evokes the memory of the Okija shrine in Anambra State where some politicians swore to their godfathers and pledged loyalty after they might have secured victory in the 2003 and 2007 general elections.

Fayose and Olujimi fell out in the run-up to the 2018 Ekiti governorship election when former used the party machinery to ensure emergence of his political protégé, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the PDP flag bearer.

Olusola was defeated by the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at the 14th July, 2018 governorship poll.

The PDP candidate lost in the election petition he filed against Fayemi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Lower Tribunal up to the Supreme Court.

Another governorship election is due to hold in the state in the middle of 2022.