Members of the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to governorship aspirant, Seyi Makinde, at the weekend endorsed the recently harmonised state executives the party’s national headquarters swore in.
The party members pledged to work with interested groups to win next year’s elections and regain power in the state.
After a meeting attended by the party chieftains and stakeholders loyal to Makinde, a former Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Hosea Ayoola Agboola, addressed reporters in Ibadan, the state capital.
Crisis began when a parallel congress was held last December with both factions of the PDP claiming legitimacy.
Though a resolution was proposed by the Ahmed Mohammed Markafi-led National Executive Committee (NEC), but the formation of a new National Working Committee (NWC) adopted a different solution to resolve the crisis.
A faction loyal to former Governor Rasidi Ladoja is threatening to pull out of the party if the congress held by his group is not duly recognised by the NWC and the ex-governor the authentic state leader of the party.
It rejected the arrangement that led to the swearing in of the Kunmi Mustapha-led state excos.
Those at the meeting included Senator Agboola, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi, Taiwo Alade, who represented the former Leader of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Adeola; former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Moruf Atilola, Chief Jacob Adetoro, PDP State Secretary, Wasiu Adeleke, Chief Ogunlade, Ademola Adejumo, D. A. Lawal, Mrs Nike Arewa, Abiola Ayorinde, Yemi Taiwo, Hassan Ogundoke, Alhaji Fatai Obabi and other members of the recently sworn-in executive in the state.
Speaking after the meeting, Agboola said: “After the December congresses, the Senator Makarfi-led national executives made recommendation of a political solution of 14-12 to harmonise the two executives from the two congresses, which our group believes will materialise.
“But with the latest decision of the NWC that we should take one executive member per senatorial district, that is, Organising Secretary (Oyo North), Financial Secretary (Oyo Central) and Secretary, (Oyo South), this is contrary to 12 slots we were looking forward to.
“All members of our group agreed with this decision of the NWC and gave them kudos for the way the issue was resolved, which will enable the two congresses at Watershed and Oke-Ado form the state executive. So, we have promised that with the harmonisation of the state executive, the PDP will take over the reign of power in Oyo State in 2019.
“On this, everybody has pledged to work for the party to make the PDP clear all the seats in the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, the three senatorial seats and the governorship election in 2019.”
Agboola hinted that another peace committee was working for the party to ensure that interested groups in the state come together to deliver the state for PDP in next year’s elelction.
The peace committee, it was gathered, pledged to continue its meeting until all matters in the state are resolved.
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