Patience Jonathan Trying To Impose Ladoja On Us..Oyo PDP

Some Peoples Democratic Party leaders in Oyo State have kicked against a request by the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, for a former governor of the state, Rashidi Ladoja, to be “accommodated” in the PDP.

Mrs. Jonathan was said to have made the request during a meeting she had with the state PDP leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja nine days ago.

It was learnt on Sunday night that some of the leaders in attendance were another   former governor of the state,   Adebayo Alao-Akala; the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory,   Jumoke Akinjide; a former Senate Leader, Sen. Teslim Folarin, and Chief Yekini Adeojo.

Ladoja, a former member of the PDP and now the National Leader of the Accord Party, is nursing a governorship ambition. He was also present at the villa meeting.

A PDP source, who attended the meeting disclosed to The PUNCH on Monday that most of those in attendance were stunned when the President’s wife suggested that Ladoja should be supported to realise his ambition.

He added that   they did not only kick against her proposal , they also rejected her suggestion to share party offices in the state with Ladjola.

The source   said, “The President’s wife asked that we should accommodate someone who is not a member of the party. How do we do this?

“She was tactically telling us to support his governorship ambition because she was saying she knew that Ladoja has the capacity to win election and defeat the All Progressives Congress in the state.

“But we disagreed and told her so. That was what happened, but she promised to convey another meeting soon where the issue would be further discussed.

“But I can tell you that we are not pleased with her activities in our party. We don’t understand where she derives the power to interfere in running of the PDP. In fact, most of us may not attend any other meeting summoned by her because she is not our leader.

She should keep off because if we field a wrong person, we may not defeat the APC in our state during the governorship election.”

Alao-Akala said it was true that the meeting with the First Lady was held, but he said he   was not asked to step down for Ladoja.

He told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday night that the First Lady merely asked them to “accommodate” Ladoja in the PDP.

The former governor   also confirmed that majority of those in attendance disagreed with Mrs Jonathan on the grounds that Ladoja had yet to dump the AP for the PDP.

Alao-Akala said, “Yes, it is true that the First Lady met us. But she didn’t ask me to step down. She said we should accommodate Ladoja in our party and we said it would be difficult to do so because he is not a member of the PDP. That was what happened.”

A Media Assistant to the President’s wife, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi, in Abuja that he was not aware of the meeting.

Ladoja’s media aide,   Lanre Latinwo, had said in a statement that his boss was not on his way to joining any party.

“Accord party in Oyo State remains one united entity and will continue to grow in leaps and bounds due to the sincerity of leaders of the party and the genuine love of the people.

“We urge members of the party and the general public to disregard the insinuation in all its entirety asserting that the Accord Party at the moment is not involved in any alliance talk.”

A member of the NWC who, also spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We appreciate her concern for the party, but she’s over doing it.