Some elders and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State have faulted the ratification of the outcome of the party’s state congress by its national leadership.
The State Congress was held on February 27 and supervised by Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State-led Electoral Committee.
It produced Philip Aivoji as the new Lagos State Chairman of the party.
The elders, however, expressed shock over the ratification of the congress by the Dr Iyorchia Ayu-led PDP National Working Committee.
In a communique on Friday at the end of a meeting on the purported ratification of the alleged botched state congress, the elders rejected the ratified list of state officials.
The communique was signed by party chieftains, including Dr. Remi Akitoye, Senator Kofo Akerele-Bucknor and Chief Onikepo Oshodi.
According to them, the party elders and leaders having deliberated exhaustively on the issue, expressed shock and disappointment that the collective essence of the NWC was dismissed.
They said: “The ratification is contemptuous of the sobering voices of the Southwest representatives.
“They hardly demonstrated the requisite gravitas and the innate democratic accommodation of good leadership as they hastily ignored everyone and purportedly ‘ratified’ what has been universally condemned as a flawed congress.
“Despite various petitions emanating from the aspirants, the BOT members, the Caretaker Committee and the concerned individuals which substantiated the fact that the congress was a brazen sham, the leadership still disregarded the various voices of reason.”
The communique added that the reports from the Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP Appeal Committee, Board of Trustees Elders, Caretaker Committee and other quarters were all unanimous about the untidy, flawed and inconclusive nature of the alleged botched congress.
The communique added: “We are dismayed, sickened and sad that there is a desperate attempt to destabilise Lagos state PDP and render the Yoruba race inconsequential in the scheme of things.
“Lagos state alone has the largest electoral figures in the nation. This should not be happening very close to election year.
“Let there be no doubt about our resolve to challenge this with all the legitimate legal means.”
According to the communique, the PDP elders vowed to fight the alleged injustice with temperance and sure-footedness.
They added: “We reject the result of the inconclusive congress.
“We do not and we will not recognise the ratified list of officials for Lagos PDP.
“We will continue this struggle until the wrongs are rectified and justice eventually prevails.”