Two zonal executives of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South West rose from separate meetings in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday with a unanimous stand that the position of the National Chairman of the party earlier allotted to the zone should remain so “for equity, justice and fair play”.
The Erstwhile Zonal Chairman of the PDP during Senator Alimodu Sheriff reign, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, stormed Ibadan with his executive members, including the Secretary, Chief Pegba Otemolu; the Auditor, Alhaji Rasaq Adekola; Otunba Femi Carrena; Alhaja Adebisi Oyawoye; Alhaji Bello Jimoh; Rachael Olaoye; and Grace Akinribidesi, and appealed to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party to follow the rule of law on the zoning.
The Ogundipe, group which maintained that it remained the legally constituted and authentic party executive in the South West, further called on all PDP leaders in the zone “and our National Chairmanship Aspirants currently on Nationwide campaign should go ahead with that purpose till the convention and all should be given equal opportunities to contest”.
Elsewhere in the city, the National Vice-Chairman and the South West Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, called on all aspirants into the office of the national chairman of the party to come to a roundtable to reduce the number of aspirants in order not to jeopardise the chances of the zone producing the next chairman of the party come December 9, 2017 at the national convention of the party in Abuja.
Olafeso made his executive’s position known while speaking with journalists to abreast party supporters on the efforts being made to ensure victory for the South West in the National Chairmanship contest.
He also used the opportunity to disclose other national executive slots allotted to the zone like the Treasurer, Deputy Publicity Secretary, Deputy Woman Leader and two ex-officio members.
The committee that zoned the positions was chaired by Senator Iyiola Omisore, with other members from Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos States as Dr. M. Oladimeji, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha, Ladi Ojomo, Idowu Odeyemi and Tunji Shelle.
The committee, which met under 45 minutes, then submitted its report to the zonal chairman who briefed the gathering.
According to Olafeso, the National Treasurer was zoned to Ekiti State, Deputy Publicity Secretary to Osun State, Deputy Woman Leader to Lagos State, while the two ex-officio members were zoned to Ogun and Oyo States.
Like Ogundipe’s group’s position for level playing ground for all aspirants, Olafeso also hinted that the party would not force any of the national chairmanship aspirants to step down, stressing that the party has no anointed candidate for the post.
On the position of the zone on the choice of national chairman of the party, Olafeso said: “The position of the zone is emphatic, it’s unassailable historically.
“We are supposed to produce the national chairman of the party.
“But in a party that has six zones, we can only persuade and plead with other zones to see reasons with us and that is what the leadership of the zone has been doing.
“We still believe that they will see reasons and the South West will produce the chairman of the party.
“From 1999 till date, we’re yet to produce the chairman for the party.
“And we have responsibilities, we have over 12 million votes in the South West.
“It has always been the swing zone when it comes to general elections in the country from 1960 till date.
“Those are the things we said the party should reason at and ensure that we are given what we are entitled to.
“But we are standing together to see that we get what we truly deserve.
“It is rancour free and we recognise that we are still within the same party, that we have responsibility towards each other.
“We have spoken with all the candidates to understand the fact that there will be a day after, and that means that all of us must come back to the drawing board and work with whoever succeeds.
“And part of it is that we want to deepen democratic tenets and check imposition and impunity in our party.
“So, what we’re ready to put to other five zones is to allow us to present the chairman and we’re giving them choices amongst our people.
“Let it be on record that we have at present the best of all candidates in the country.
“Chief Olabode George, His excellency Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Jimi Agbaje and there is possibility between now and one week for other people to come in.
“But we want to take our team straight down there and say make your choice, not a situation that we will just bring an individual to the race.
“We will want to plead with all contestants that we should reduce the field.
“If we don’t reduce the field you get fragmented and now that we’re competing with the South South, it is very easy for us to share votes in a way that will be inimical to our dream of producing the chairman.”
Others at the meeting included Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, Captain Tunji Shelle, Dr. Jimi Oke, the former deputy governor of Ogun State Salimonu Badru, Dr. Saka Balogun, Alhaji Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli and Dr Yemi Farounbi.
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