The desire of Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to recapture the state from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is being threatened by the disunity among stakeholders of the party as reflected in the running battle over the control of Ilorin West Local Government party structure.

Minister of National Planning and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman recently met with the state executive of the party where he stressed the imperative of unity and cohesiveness among party chieftains and stalwarts to accomplish the task of defeating the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the 2015 general elections.

Weekly Trust gathered that Suleiman at the close-door meeting said stakeholders must work together to galvanise efforts and strength as well as mobilize resources to prosecute the main agenda of recapturing the state from the APC and the present rulingoligarchy.

With the dumping of PDP by former Governor Bukola Saraki who is the APC leader, stakeholders of the party have teamed up to reclaim the state with the support of the presidency and the national leadership of the party in the state. However, recent events in Ilorin West Local Government Area are causes for concern to the party as stakeholders in the local government area are currently polarised in their bid to call the.

Though, the state has 16 local government areas, Ilorin West is seen as very strategic in the political equation of the state. It is not only the most populous local government area in Kwara Central Senatorial district which usually determines the winner in any governorship election, it is also populated by political gladiators in both the PDP and APC.

Key stakeholders of PDP in Kwara State hail from the local government area. They include the Minister of National Planning, Chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Professor Shuaib Abdulraheem, former Senator representing Kwara Central, Senator Gbemisola Rukayyat Saraki, the first daughter of late strongman of Kwara politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki, Hajia Muinat Sagaya, an associate of First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, among others.

During the state congress held to elect executive members into party positions in the state, local government and ward levels, all the stakeholders sponsored different aspirants loyal to them in a bid to control the party machineries. While the discordant tunes which emanated from the state and other congresses which held in April were successfully managed and resolved, the congress in Ilorin West Local Government Area left the party further fragmented and disunited as three parallel congresses were held by different factions in the local government area.

Alhaji Yusuf Olugbon and Alhaji Toyin Olosasa emerged factional chairmen representing the different factions making it difficult for the party to choose which of the factional chairmen to inaugurate as both of them lay claim to the chairmanship of the party in the local government. For four months, the local chapter of the party was run without an executive, thus stalling mobilization drive within the local government area where Senator Saraki of the APC also hails from.

While Olugbon is backed by Prof. Abdulraheem, a governorship aspirant, Weekly Trust gathered that the other chairman has the support of Gbemisola Saraki and Mr. Dele Belgore, the party's governorship hopeful who hails from a sister local government area, Ilorin South.

Though, the PDP Appeal Panel led by Mr. Pam Gyang reportedly upheld the election of Olosasa, the other faction was able to secure the backing of the national secretariat which directed that Olugbon should be sworn-in as the party chairman in the local government.

Based on the directive conveyed in a letter reportedly endorsed by the PDP National Secretary, Professor Olawale Oladapo, the state Chairman, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo was to inaugurate Olugbon's executive on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, but the inauguration was stalled as the other faction mobilized their supporters to prevent the event from taking place. The development sparked tension in the metropolis following the alleged invasion of the party secretariat by suspected thugs.

Following the resistance of the planned inauguration, it was gathered that a compromise was reached to harmonise the two executives for peace to reign in the local government area. As part of the harmonization process, the factional chairman, Alhaji Olosasa was to be given the secretary position while the remaining executive positions would be shared among other members.

Fearing that the state PDP executive could go ahead with the inauguration, Olosasa had swiftly approached the state High Court in suit no. KWS/342/2014 to seek an order of interim injunction restraining the chairman from swearing in Olugbon.

Joined in the suit are PDP, its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, National Secretary, Professor Olawale Oladapo, the state chairman and other state executive members and Olugbon.

Justice I. A Yusuf while adjourning the case to September 15 gave an order restraining the party leaders, "their agents, employees, workmen or privies from swearing in the 5th defendant/respondent as chairman of the Ilorin West Local Government Executive Committee of the 1st defendant/respondent (PDP) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed by the claimant/applicant (Olosasa)".

But the party discreetly went ahead to inaugurate Olugbon executive despite the court order. The chairman who swore in the factional LG chair in the presence of his supporters stressed the need for peace and unity in the party. Olugbon's inauguration, however, prompted the other faction to protest what it called "illegality and rape of justice".

While addressing newsmen Wednesday on the matter, Olugbon said "in obvious contempt of the order of the High Court, Chief Iyiola today (Wednesday) unilaterally swore in the illegal executives led by Olugbon at a clandestine meeting, which held at a private hotel in Ilorin.

"We are both dismayed and gravely disappointed that the Chairman of our party, who should be suing for resolution and working towards our party wining the general election, would act in a way that would further divide the party. Ilorin West Local Government Area is the most populous in Kwara State. Akogun Iyiola should remember that this is democracy and should therefore act accordingly.

"It is in the light of the above that we alert the general public to the threat to peace being deliberately foisted on the party by Chief Akogun and his sponsors. As the lawful executives of the PDP in Ilorin West, we posit without equivocation that the purported inauguration of Olugbon is illegal, unlawful, void, and of no effect in law and in facts. We shall resist this illegality to the very last end with all the instrument of law at our disposal".

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Rex Olawoye told Weekly Trust that Olugbon was sworn in based on the directive of the national secretariat of the party, adding that no party man could go against the directive of the party. He also stated that the factional chairman had no constitutional right to take the party to court.

"For him to say that it (Olugbon's inauguration) is illegal, I don't understand him. There was enough evidence to show us that there was no congress in Ilorin West when others were doing their own congresses and that was why three chairmen emerged from three different groups", he said.

The current developments, analysts believe, are antithetical to the party's avowed determination to dislodge the APC leadership in the state. How the party resolves the complex internal schisms would obviously determine its success in the coming election.