The Chairman, National Reconciliation Strategy Committee (NRSC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bukola Saraki, is hopeful that the crisis rocking the Oyo State chapter of the party will soon be resolved.
He confirmed that some aggrieved persons have given certain conditions for their return and continuous work with the party in the state.
Saraki, a former Senate president, spoke while fielding questions from reporters after a closed door meeting with some aggrieved members of the party.
The meeting, held at the Oyo State Government House, Agodi, Ibadan was attended by members of the NRSC, Governor Seyi Makinde and top government functionaries.
Saraki said topmost on the demand of the aggrieved members was the recognition of those who worked hard to secure the victory of the party at the last election.
He said the aggrieved members had expressed their willingness to work again for the party if their areas of concern were given attention, adding that Governor Makinde had expressed readiness to do the needful.
Speaking about the outcome of the meeting, Saraki said party members had resolved to work together under the leadership of Governor Makinde, adding that they had agreed to resolve their differences to ensure victory for the party in the coming state and national elections.
He said: “We are here as part of the National Reconciliation Strategy Committee assignment and we are very happy with what has transpired this afternoon within the PDP family.
“All the parties have resolved to work together under the leadership of our performing governor, Seyi Makinde. We have decided to put aside our differences and work towards ensuring that PDP is victorious not only in the state, but also at the national level.
“I want to commend our stakeholders who have come, who have agreed that today is the beginning of a new chapter in Oyo State. I also want to thank our governor for his commitment.
“I am a beneficiary of what the party is doing and I hope that when I finish my own term too, people in the PDP will continue to benefit from that. So, everyone is committed to ensuring that PDP continues to work and strive very strongly here in Oyo State.’”
Asked if there were still knotty issues or if the meeting had address all identified challenges, the former governor of Kwara State said: “I think it is the beginning, but we have started the process. The commitments have been made by the governor and the stakeholders. That has started and some steps have already been taken today. We are very confident that for coming out of it, definitely, there is a new dawn ahead of us here in Oyo State.”
When asked the areas of grievance identified by the committee, Saraki said: “The first thing everybody says is that we know that our governor is performing; on the area of governance, we are doing very well. They are all proud to be associated with the governor; they believe that there should be need for more recognition to some of the people that worked hard in the election and the governor has said, ‘I am doing my best’; those who have not been fully recognised will be fully recognised and they have all said once that is done by the governor, they are good to go and they are ready to work with him. So, it is just to start implementing those things and rolling them down the line.
“The PDP is already a formidable party in Oyo State, in the Southwest. What we are trying to do here today is to consolidate on that and from there, we also want to move into the Southwest to ensure PDP gets stronger.
“I am confident that with the calibre of people that have attended, the issues expressed; the issues are not issues that are not insurmountable and the governor has made that commitment and we all know that he is a man that will deliver by his performance and antecedents.
“I think the country also understands that today if you look at what is happening in the other party that the alternative for us in Nigeria today is this party, and they believe that this party is the platform that will provide that future for us in making Nigeria a better place.”
Some of the aggrieved members said to be at the meeting include a former majority leader of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Akande, former deputy governor Hazeem Gbolarunmi, Nureni Akanbi, Adebisi Olopoenia, Michael Okunlade, Adekola Adeoye, among others.
Femi Babalola (Jogor) and Ajibola Muraina, two of the leaders of the factional group, were absent. Jogor was said to be away in the United States of America.
Contacted by The Nation, a stalwart in the factional group, Adebisi Olopoenia, said he only attended the meeting at Carlton Gate Hotel and didn’t partake in the meeting at the Government House for security reasons.
He said that the aggrieved factional group is not fighting Governor Makinde, but fighting for the party.
Giving a hint on the discussion that transpired at the meeting, Olopoenia said the Saraki-led NRSC only directed Governor Makinde to hold a peace meeting with the aggrieved members and reach an agreement on how all the issues can be ironed out.
He added that the governor was given till month end to carry out the assignment as a requirement for the NRSC to return to the state and break a truce between the factions.
Other members of the NRSC who attended the meeting include former Senate president Anyim Pius Anyim, former governor of Cross River State Liyel Imoke, ex-governor of Gombe State Ibrahim Dankwambo and Mulikat Akande.
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