Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
and his loyalists in the South West PDP are in no mood yet for the party’s
peace talks.
Suspended
National Secretary of the Party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, its sacked Deputy
National Chairman, South West, Engr. Segun Oni and former governor of Oyo
State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, all loyalists of Obasanjo, shunned a
reconciliation meeting scheduled for Ibadan yesterday by the National Chairman,
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Former
Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, though not an Obasanjo supporter,
also stayed away from the meeting convened to resolve the crises that have torn
the party into shreds in the zone.
The
peace talks went ahead nonetheless with Alhaji Tukur pleading with members of
the party in the zone to sheathe their swords and join forces to rebuild what
remains of the party in the South West.
He
urged forgiveness on the part of every member.
He
also told them to forget the bitterness of the past to enable them work
together, especially in preparation for the 2015 elections.
He
said: “It is important to have back the South West, considering its importance
in the country, in the economy, politics and education. Politics is not a joke.
We do it to get power and use the substance of power to serve our members.
“If
you do not acquire power through legal votes, you will not be able to serve
diligently those that voted you in.
“If
we fail to toe the line, some people will take over our right to govern the
states in the South West.
“Let
us make it the last time that South West will be under any political party
except PDP.”
The
Chairman of the Zonal Caretaker Committee, Chief Ishola Filani, had earlier
explained that the zone was facing some challenges since it lost the states.
Describing
factionalization as the order of the day in the zone, he said it would affect
the chances of the party in 2015 election if not checked in time.
He
said his committee had been meeting with aggrieved members in the zone.
“We
will continue to forge ahead in search of unity, which is necessary to win the
election come 2015,” he said.
He
assured Tukur that they would continue to justify the confidence reposed in
them to win back aggrieved members into the party.
Also
speaking, the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada said PDP members
across all the states in the South West now know the advantage of being in
power, stressing that they have learnt their lessons.
She
said they were ready to reconcile and come together to take back power in the
zone in 2015.
The
meeting resolved to set up a reconciliation committee headed by former national
deputy chairman, Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun, to bring together the aggrieved
members in the zone.
Each
state is expected to nominate two representatives into the reconciliation
committee.
Other
notable members of the party in attendance include former Deputy Governor of
Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore; former Senate Leader, Hon. Teslim Folarin,
Chief Buruji Kasamu; former Osun State Governor, Senator Isiaka Adeleke; former
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose; Chief Tunde Olowofoyeku; Chief Abiola
Ogundokun; Senator Lekan Balogun; Garuba Umar and Ambassador Gbenga Olofin.
Others
are the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adeola Akande;
former Minister of Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; Hon. AJibola Muraina; Alhaji
Yekini Adeojo; Deputy Senate Chief Whip, Senator Hosea Agboola; Oyo State
Chairman of PDP, Yinka Taiwo; his Ondo State counterpart, Hon. Ebenzer Olu
Alabi; Osun State Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa and Lagos State Chairman,
Hon. Tunji Shelle, among others.
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Politics