Fear of mass exodus hits Southwest PDP

Considered the weakest base of the Peoples Democratic Party in the nation, the main opposition may suffer further losses due to varying issues and contentions in the Southwest region, reports Sunday Oguntola 

Disgruntled members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest region are gearing up to leave the party for another platform, it can be authoritatively revealed.

The development may leave the party, which has only one governorship slot and a few House of Assembly members, further weakened and battered in the region believed to be its weakest base in the nation.

Investigations revealed the impending exodus is not unconnected with several disaffections, contending interests and the fierce battle for tickets in the 2019 general elections. Our correspondent gathered that many members of the PDP have concluded plans to move to identified alternative platforms before the middle of the year.

This, it was learnt, is to position them to win the tickets of the new platforms since their chances are becoming dimmer and threatened under the PDP, which many of them accuse of still living in the shadows of reputation for alleged impunity.

Checks revealed that most state chairmen are not comfortable with the overriding influence of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and its plots to impose certain candidates on them. At least two or three of them are said to be shopping for alternative parties in the run-off to the 2019 general elections.

No longer at ease in Oyo

In Oyo PDP, for example, the party is engaged in a supremacy battle between former Governor Rasheed Ladoja and governorship aspirant, Seyi Makinde. The Makinde’s group is said to enjoy the backing of the Southwest zonal chairman, Dr Eddy Olafeso.

Olafeso is believed to have taken it upon himself to sell the group’s aspirations and interests to the NWC, a development that culminated in the recent attempt to share the 26-man state party executive between the two main blocs.

The proposal is to give Ladoja’s group 14 slots and leave the remaining for the Makinde’s group. Though Ladoja has declared he would not contest the governorship seat, it is believed he plans to control the soul of the party for a candidate that would be loyal to him.

Makinde, on the other hand, is interested in the governorship ticket with the NWC members said to be more disposed to its aspiration than backing someone sponsored by Ladoja who incidentally produced Oyo PDP chairman, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha.

This proposal has not infuriated Ladoja but also left him threatening to leave the party. He said: “The issue of the state executive being shared 14 and 12 does not even arise at all. There is and there will be nothing like that.

“It was impunity that drove us from the PDP and if they allow the impunity to return, we will leave the party for them. We brought Accord less than four months to the 2011 elections and the people of the state accepted the party.

“Wherever there is impunity, you will not find me there. How will some people think of going to Abuja to ask them to help to substitute names of their preferred candidates in the list of duly elected officers? It is very wrong and we will not accept that.”

Sources close to him confided he has instructed his supporters to shop for a new platform. Should Ladoja and his supporters leave, it will leave the PDP further decimated and incapacitated in Oyo State following the recent defection of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and his supporters from the fold.

Though Makinde has appealed to Ladoja not to dump the PDP ship, analysts believe it is just a make-belief considering he stands to gain should the political heavyweight leave the scene for him.

Omisore, supporters out of PDP in Osun

In neighbouring Osun, last week’s State Congress produced Soji Adagunodo as the new PDP chairman. This effectively shuts out the faction led by former Commissioner for Works, Dr Bayo Faforiji.

His faction is loyal to former Deputy Governor Senator Iyiola Omisore, which battled tooth and nail to secure postponement of the exercise. It was gathered the Uche Secondus-led NWC stood its ground on the proposed pronouncement, leading to a boycott by the Omisore’s faction.

Hours after the exercise, Faforiji also announced the movement working for Omisore to become the next governor is dumping the PDP for another political platform.

The terse statement, in a WhatsApp platform, reads: “Finally, the long and tortuous journey in the dark tunnel of the discarded PDP days is over! What a sweet relief!”

“Now is the time for us to hit the ground running. As soon as our next destination is determined and established, everyone must take up the challenge of spreading the gospel of “Omisore for Governor” throughout the nooks and crannies of Osun State.”

Omisore has been the major financier and backbone of the party in the state. He has unsuccessfully contested the governorship seat twice on the PDP platform. With him and his supporters out of the PDP, there is no doubt the party is weaker for it in Osun.

Aggrieved aspirants take on Fayose in Ekiti

In Ekiti, Governor Ayo Fayose is facing serious internal crisis owing to support for his deputy, Professor Kolapo Olusola. The governor has declared Olusola as his anointed candidate ahead of the April primary of the party.

Four of the aspirants former Minister of State for Works and immediate past PDP national spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; Senate Minority Whip and former deputy governor, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi; former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and ex-High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Dare Bejide and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi said the imposition of Olusola would lead to mass exodus of well-meaning members and elders.

They also demanded for dissolution of the state exco headed by Gboyega Oguntuase for dancing to Fayose’s tune. In its stead, they said a caretaker committee should be constituted to coordinate the forthcoming primary.

Adeyeye said: “The candidate he (Fayose) has chosen for himself is not a person that can win an election in this state. When you display billboards and you are writing ‘Meet Your Next Governor’ on them, you are putting yourself in the position of God. That is very annoying.”

Senator Olujimi said:

“Can anybody who wants to win an election for PDP wish us away? If anybody wants to wish us away in the party, the consequences will be grave.”

Bejide said: “Section 50 (i), 50 (2) and 50 (2b) of the PDP constitution spells out how our candidate will be picked. Imposition, impunity and arbitrary action of a sitting governor is definitely ruled out and we will surely enforce the provision of the law.

Ajayi said:

“The so-called adoption was a fraudulent act, an illegal action. I want to tell you that 80 per cent of those working with him are with us. They are only working for the money they are earning.”

Unease peace in Lagos

In Lagos, former factional chairman Segun Adewale has already handed over key to the party’s secretariat in Ikeja GRA to Chief Bode George, a Board of Trustee (BoT) member. That effectively left the position for Moshood Salvador said to be in alliance with the Labour Party (LP) before the Supreme Court judgment sacking former national chairman, Senator Modu Alli-Sheriff.

The factions entered a truce agreement following the judgment in Lagos to bring everybody on board with Salvador committing to implementing it. But he has reneged leaving him and George, estranged.

The George’s elements in the party have been kicking, calling for resignation of Salvador for allegedly undermining their leader and going back on the peace terms.

Led by Youth Leader of Alimosho local government, Adewale Akinte, the protesters carried placards with different inscriptions like: “Salvador is working for APC”; “Go, Salvador, Go!”; “On 65-35 we stand” and “Salvador, where do you belong, APC or PDP?” among others.

The only PDP member in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Oladipupo Olorunrinu, believes the party leaders must move quickly to settle differences within the state chapter.

Olorunrinu (PDP-Amuwo Odofin I) said the leaders needed to bring everyone on board ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“They (people) want to be very sure we (party) are intact and well positioned to take over power.

“My message is that the party leaders should be on top of all rancors and issues, though managing human beings is one of the most difficult things on earth,” he said.

On March 8, the party held two parallel assemblies one led by the Salvador executive while former deputy chairman, Prince Ola Apena held another. Apena’s group said it was not happy with the way Salvador was running the party, asking him to step down from office.

But Olorunrinu said the party was not factionalised but only experiencing differences.  According to him: “I will not say that there are no issues in Lagos PDP. “There is rancour and misunderstanding in every party, we cannot rule that out.

“The most important thing is that the party Chairman, Hon. Salvador is intact already. It is just for him to settle the other executive. “There is really no faction at large.

“It is two children that are fighting, but Chief Olabode George has said that Salvador still remains the Chairman of the party in the state,” he said.

Daniel, others out of Ogun PDP

In Ogun, former Governor Gbenga Daniels is yet to declare defection from the PDP. But his recent romance with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has resigned from the party, clearly indicates he might also be on his way out of the PDP with his supporters.

Daniels has been having a long-drawn between with Senator Buruji Kashamu(Ogun East) over supremacy and control of the party. The Federal High Court in Lagos in February affirmed the Adebayo Dayo-led state executive as the authentic leadership of the party in the state.

The executive is backed by Kashamu, the sole financier of the party in Ogun State. But he has been battling for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP to recognise his faction.

A member of the PDP in Oyo State, Chief Bayo Adeoti, said the party has to regain its lost glories in the South West if it is serious about winning the presidency. “We have to get our acts together because without winning votes in the south west, we can as well forget the 2019 presidency.”

 

 

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