BY REBECCA AJANI
THE crisis in the South West zone of the Peoples Democratic Party seems to have taken another dimension, as the two warring factions have resorted to the election of parallel Executives.
The refusal of the South West leaders of the main opposition party to unite and position strongly ahead of the 2023 elections, has made many of the PDP stakeholders, especially the younger generation, to begin to consider joining other political platforms in their quest for near-sanity.
While a few of those who spoke in separate interviews with THE POINT said they would rather opt for the African Democratic Congress, especially in Ogun State, many others pointed at the possibility of their joining the ruling All Progressives Congress even if it meant going to queue behind their “juniors” at the wards.
According to them, the selfish interests of many of the South West leaders, and political naivety on the part of those who are insisting that they are leaders of the party, have combined to restrict PDP to the take-off stage in terms of preparation for elections.
The aggrieved stakeholders spoke just as a South West caucus of the party affirmed the endorsement of the return of the Eddy Olafeso-led Zonal Exco at the party’s zonal congress.
The Chairmen of the party in Lagos, Osun, Ogun and Ekiti states, Adedeji Doherty, Sunday Bisi, Sikirulai Ogundele and Bisi Kolawole, respectively, asked Governor Seyi Makinde to refrain from causing division in the party by creating parallel excos in the South West.
They advised him to stop playing the role of Governor-General of the zone.
The caucus made its position known in a
Communique signed by the Zonal Secretary, Daisi Akintan, just as Governor Makinde held another caucus meeting in Ibadan, where a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Lebanon, Taofeek Arapaja, was named as sole nominee for the post of Zonal Chairman.
The governor noted that the name of Arapaja was arrived at after thorough consultations across the state.
Makinde also warned those he said were “staying outside and throwing stones inside”, saying, “I want to also state that history will record their position accurately. I will encourage us to urge them to come in. We have the reconciliation committee already.”
Present at Makinde’s meeting were serving and former governors, serving and former members of the National and State Assemblies, members of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee, members of the national and state working committees of the PDP in the zone, as well as former appointees to the President from the zone.
But some PDP stakeholders have insisted that the absence of the South West chairmen of the party was a major gap that could not be ignored in line with the constitution, and have therefore advised Makinde to shelve the struggle over the leadership of the party and face party building.
The communique of the group, believed to be the pro-Ayodele Fayose caucus, reads, “We members of the Zonal Caucus of the Party in the South West, pursuant to Section 27(5) as amended in 2017, here gathered, deliberated on the fortunes of the Party and particularly with emphasis to place it on sound footing in our zone and resolve as follows:
“That we stand firmly by the resolutions of the Ibadan meeting of 12th March 2020, affirming the return of Dr Eddy Olafeso as Zonal Chairman, Rev Bunmi Jenyo as Zonal Secretary, among others, believing that as matured and sincere Party members, resolutions and agreements are sacrosanct and must always be respected.
“That sequel to the above, we are committed to respecting the Zoning agreement, as conclusively agreed to at the meeting and furthermore endorsing the candidature of Dr Eddy Olafeso and all other members of his Executive or new additions injected into the list by leaders of the respective states.
“That we hereby direct/appeal to our Delegates to vote accordingly for all our aspirants as we are confident in their ability to steer the ship of the Party successfully.
“That we call on the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde to stop acting like Governor-General of the South-West Zone and desist from causing division in the party by setting up parallel state excos in some states.
“That our vision and desire is to see the PDP thrive in the South West Zone and win elections.
“That sequel to the above, the under listed people have been approved as candidates for election at the zonal congress:
“Dr Eddy Olafeso, National Vice Chairman; Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, Zonal Secretary; Hon Bakenne Fasiu Adewale, Zonal Organising Secretary; Mr Femi Adetola, Youth Leader; Mrs Abimbola Lanre Balogun, Woman Leader; Mr Oke Ojo Micheal, Treasurer; Engr Balogun Kolawole Ayuba, Auditor; Mr Dosu Babatunde, Legal Adviser; Mr Ayo Fadaka; Zonal Publicity Secretary and Hon. Philip Olabode Aivoji, Financial Secretary.”
Based on the confusion in the order of the party currently, many members have been in consultations as regards the next step for them in politics.
“If I must be honest with you, we are only still in the PDP because it looks somehow for us to have a one-party state. There is no coordination at all in the PDP, especially in the South West, and even in other regions. We can’t continue wasting away our lives at the expense of some people’s selfish interest,” a former PDP lawmaker in the South West, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent.
Another PDP chieftain, who asked not to be named, accused Makinde of allowing people to lead him wrongly in South West politics, saying it was easy to get Fayose to his side if he played his game well.
“You don’t stampede your way into being the de facto leader. You earn it. The way he is going about the whole thing, he (Makinde) will wake up one day and find out that he is the only one remaining in the party he would have contributed to its destruction,” he said.
A former Youth Leader of the party in one of the South West states also said before the end of the APC registration and revalidation exercise, many promising members would have been lost to the opposition.
“What everyone is doing now is consultation. Even our leaders know we have been loyal enough. It is time to take our future in our own hands, ” the young PDP member said.
