Two parallel congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Ekiti State on Tuesday.

A faction believed to be loyal to a leader of the party in the Southwest, but opposed to Governor Ayodele Fayose, held its state congress at Omo-Ilu Foundation in Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti where Chief Williams Ajayi, was elected as its chairman.

But as of the time of filing this report, the faction loyal to the governor was holding its own congress at Adetiloye hall in the state-owned Fountain Hotel in the state capital, Ado Ekiti.

The outgoing state Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, in an interview with our correspondent said the factional congress was illegal.

“We are still conducting our congress, so, I’m not aware of any other congress,” he said.

It was learnt that thugs stormed the factional congress  in a bid to disrupt the election but delegates later regrouped to continue the election.

Other State Working Committee elected at the congress include Mr. Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi (Deputy Chairman), Ilesanmi Obe (Secretary), Dr. Ayo Olaiya (Vice Chairman-North), Alhaji Gani Bankole (Vice Chairman-South), Mr. J.K. Oni (Vice Chairman-Central) and Elder Obafemi Falayi (Treasurer).

Others are Gbadebo Fayemi (Organizing Secretary), Deji Dada (Publicity Secretary), Niran Owoseni (Legal Adviser), Alhaji Adubiaro (Auditor), Mrs. Florence Olalegun (Women Leader) and Olusola Ajidulu (Youth Leader).

Speaking shortly after the state congress, Ajayi said the process was conducted in line with the PDP constitution and guidelines for the congresses.

He said the new executive that emerged from the state congress would give all party members a sense of belonging, initiate reconciliation process and bring back all aggrieved members who had left the party.

Ajayi said, “We have gone through all the process stipulated in the party constitution and guidelines by conducting the ward congress, the local government congress and the state congress held today is the climax.

“We don’t know of any other congress or faction but we members of the Omo-Ilu Foundation and other members who believe in due process and party supremacy have conducted our congresses even though some people attempted to disrupt the process.

“This is politics and we are playing it together, nobody can intimidate us. This is a new dawn for PDP in Ekiti State and we are determined to put the party on a solid footing and make it attractive to people to join and vote for at elections.”