A former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has spurned the negotiation to return to the Peoples Democratic Party from the Accord Party.
Negotiation between the PDP and Ladoja broke down today in Ibadan, Oyo State.
It was learnt that at a meeting in his house in Ibadan, Oyo State, Ladoja demanded for more representation in the state executive committee of the PDP than the negotiating team, led by a former Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, was willing to concede.
The meeting was said to have been concluded at about 5pm.
Sources told The Eagle Online that while Ladoja allegedly demanded for 14 out of the available 20 seats in the SEC, Alao-Akala’s negotiating team said the meeting should abide by the sharing formula adopted for the ward and local government executive committees.
A highly placed source in the PDP in Oyo State told The Eagle Online: “What was done during the ward and local government congresses was that a 70:30 ratio was adopted for the production of the executives.
“The party that wins the congress at any of the level produces 70 per cent of the executives while the losing side produced 30 per cent.
“However, when we got to the state level, with Ladoja sensing he was going to lose, he then decided it was time to adjust the sharing formula.
“In fact, because of this, the other party conceded to adopt a 60:40 formula.
“But Ladoja, who initially said he wanted to produce 14 out of the 20 SEC positions, only later agreed to a 52:48 sharing formula, which was unaaceptable to those who have remained with the PDP even in the face of trouble.”
But a source close to Ladoja said that the former governor feels cheated because the negotiating party was not categorical about what he would get in the SEC.
Ladoja reportedly told Alao-Akala that he should not be treated as if he was returning to the PDP as a liability.
Rather, he said he remains an asset to any political party that wants him.
The source told The Eagle Online: “What they told Ladoja that led to the breakdown of negotiation was that they cannot concede anything to him until after the state congress tomorrow.
“And how do you go into a battle blind folded?”
It was learnt that Ladoja told his followers that they should stay on in Accord Party though some are already linking him with moves to the ruling party in the state, the Action Congress of Nigeria.
However, one of his staunch followers told The Eagle Online: “Our best bet if we want to remain politically relevant is to return to the PDP.
“The ACN has nothing to offer us except we are deceiving ourselves.
“Our leader cannot even cope with the kind of politics they play in that party.
“And if he decides to remain in Accord Party, all his followers will gradually leave as they are being taken on a daily basis by both the PDP and ACN.”