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Tag: Southwest PDP

  • 2027: Southwest PDP rejects Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai coalition

    2027: Southwest PDP rejects Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai coalition

    • Osun chair dares three Senators, eight Reps to defect; rains curses on those who leave

    The South West Caucus of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, insisted that it would not be part of the coalition being put together by some politicians, including prominent members of the party such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    The caucus, comprising Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Taofeek Arapaja, among others, reaffirmed its unwavering loyalty to the PDP and commitment to its unity, stability, progress and success at all levels.

    Governor Makinde dismissed the coalition as incapable of constituting any threat to PDP.

    Chairman of the party in Osun State Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, warned PDP federal lawmakers from the state against dumping the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

    The PDP Caucus, in a communiqué at the end of a meeting in Ibadan, said the party remained intact in the Southwest.

    It urged all its organs and relevant bodies to remain focused and continue to work assiduously toward the successful conduct of the scheduled National Convention to further strengthen and reposition the PDP for the task ahead.

    “The Caucus states in that it is not part of the reported coalition and urges all members of the PDP to remain united, steadfast and continue to stand behind our leaders in the Zone in navigating through all issues at the zonal and national levels,” it said.

    But it expressed support for the position of the National Working Committee (NWC) that “our Party remains open to working with other well-meaning like-minded citizens in the collective effort to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

    It also resolved to intensify efforts to ensure “the victory of our great Party in the upcoming bye-elections in Oyo and Ogun States as well as Local Government Council election in Lagos State. The Caucus is confident that the PDP as a party of choice in the Southwest and Nigeria at large will record a sweeping victory in the coming elections.”

    It demanded the immediate release, by the federal government, of “the withheld Osun State Local Government allocation. The withholding of the Osun State Local Government allocation by the Federal Government is unconstitutional, unwarranted and a violation of the rights and wellbeing of the people of Osun State.

    Fielding questions from reporters at the end of the meeting, Makinde said the brains behind the coalition have always been known as people with antecedents of moving from one party to another.

    He said any serious party leader should address whatever challenge is facing his party head on, instead of jumping ship at the slightest opportunity.

    He said the question people should be asking is what such defectors have to offer.

    On the caucus meeting, he said: “We want the whole world, the entire country to know that the PDP in the Southwest is united, we are together.

    “Coalition is not a threat to PDP. Who are these people in this coalition? They have been in some parties before, whether PDP or APC. What are their antecedents? Does it mean that every time they move from one party to the other, they repented or changed or they have something new to offer the people?

    “Those are salient questions. If this building here, the roof is leaking, as leaders of PDP in the Southwest, are we going to abandon the building and go somewhere else to take refuge? We will stay inside here and fix it and let the people know that we are responsible leaders and we have the interest of the people at heart. That will be my own expectation for anybody that has anything against this party.”

    On the threat by some members of the coalition that they will remain in the PDP but work for the coalition, the governor said people were entitled to their opinions but the party as an institution with laid down structure has its own way of dealing with such issues at the right time.

    His words: “People can say whatever they like. But in a party like PDP, that is an institution, we have our own ways and means of dealing with such issues. And when we get to the point where we have to deal with such issues, I give you the assurance, we will.”

    Addressing the delegates earlier, the governor recalled how the refusal of the party’s presidential flag bearer in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to allow the office of the party’s national chairman to go to the South resulted in the formation of the G5.

    The meeting had in attendance leaders, delegates and stakeholders of the party from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos State.

    Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleken, was represented at the meeting by his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi.

    PDP dares Osun Senators, Reps over dumping party

    Hon. Sunday Bisi, in a video which has gone viral, warned PDP senators and Reps to be careful of their actions as the 2027 elections draw near.

    Bisi who spoke in Yoruba at a gathering of party stakeholders said: “those of us who are close to our senators and Reps, let’s advise them; their mandate is for four years. You did not mandate them to spend two years and cross to another political party.

    Read Also: 2027: Southwest PDP rejects Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai coalition

    “Whoever does that is a betrayer and he will also be betrayed. And it will not be well for such a person.

    “I am saying this because we built this party with our sweat and tears and got them elected. Now that the party’s flame is shining, anyone who tries to extinguish it will have his own flame extinguished instead.

    “Talk to them because some of them are acting like they will not return home again and need the party again. We’re monitoring their every move in Abuja. Help us warn them seriously to desist from any untoward action.

    “We worked for this party, and we want to warn Wole Oke; he wants to destroy the PDP finally after he used the platform for 24 years. He forgot God and the future, I won’t say more than this.”

  • 2026: Southwest PDP confident of victory in Ekiti governorship poll

    2026: Southwest PDP confident of victory in Ekiti governorship poll

    • Group rallies support for Oyebanji ‘s re-election

    The Southwest chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed confidence that the party would wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, saying the PDP is united and determined to win the election.

    The PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, said the PDP is united and more determined to win the election, urging the APC to prepare to leave the Oke-Ayoba Government House.

    Speaking during the inauguration of the committees and sub-committees set up to galvanise support for a frontline governorship aspirant, Dr. Wole Oluyede, Atofarati, said Ekiti people are tired of the APC’s alleged maladministration in the state.

     He noted that the APC’s tactics of divide-and-rule would no longer work, urging

    party leaders and members remain steadfast in the task to take over power from the broom party.

     “There is no more place for the antics of divide and rule they are orchestrating in our party again. We are appealing to all our people in Ikere Ekiti and the South Senatorial District of the state not to accept any deputy governorship ticket from anybody, but only accept a governorship ticket.

    READ ALSO: States seek $500m World Bank’s facility to tackle poverty

    But, an advocacy group, Progress Mandate has endorsed Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term.

    The group, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti by its Director-General, Yomi Oso, said the governor deserves a second term, citing his achievements in infrastructure development, education, youth empowerment, health sector, job creation and agriculture.

     The group lauded Oyebanji for his humility and inclusive leadership style, which has brought lasting peace.

    It described the governor Oyebanji’s style as “quiet but impactful” and praised his zero tolerance for corruption as well as demonstrable  financial reforms which has re-engineered the state’s finances.

    The group explained that its decision to declare support for the governor was informed by his understanding of Ekiti’s challenges, inclusive governance style and humility in leadership which gives voice to all segments of society.

    It noted that Oyebanji’s re-election would ensure continuation of his development agenda and further consolidate the gains made so far for the betterment of Ekiti people.

    “The Progress Mandate does not give blind endorsements. We are an advocacy platform solely driven by verifiable data, integrity, and public interest. Our support for Governor Oyebanji is informed by his understanding of Ekiti’s challenges and tailored solutions.

    “Governor Oyebanji’s administration has redefined leadership in Ekiti through a quiet revolution rooted in substance over sensation. Unlike the usual traditional, flamboyant approach to governance, he has adopted a uniquely inductive style, one that begins at grassroots, examines the peculiarities of each local issue, and develops policy from the bottom up.

    “We must also commend Mr Governor for the remarkable way he has united political, traditional, and community leaders across the state. Through humility and inclusive leadership, he has brought lasting peace and tranquillity to a once-divided political landscape. Today, Ekiti is speaking with one voice, and that is a legacy worth preserving.

  • Southwest PDP meets in Ibadan

    Southwest PDP meets in Ibadan

    Leaders and stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Southwest chapter, have met in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to elect Chief Kamorudeen Ajisafe as the National Vice Chairman (Southwest).

    The meeting, held at the frontage of the Presidential Lodge, Oyo State Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, was attended by the leader of the party in the Southwest, Oyo State Governor ‘Seyi Makinde and his Osun State counterpart, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

    Read Also; Five vigilance members to die by hanging in Kano

    Speaking after the meeting, Makinde said: “PDP is now fully united in the Southwest.”

    He added: “The major outcome of this meeting is that, now, Southwest PDP is fully united and we have a new National Vice Chairman in Kamorudeen Ajisafe. This is the outcome of the meeting.”

    PDP Board of Trustees led by its Chairman and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, hailed Makinde and Adeleke for providing leadership for the party in the Southwest.

  • Elders warn against interference in Southwest PDP

    Southeast Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elders yesterday warned against the meldding of external forces in the affairs of the party in the zone.

    They lamented that the party failed in the region becuase candidates emerged through unfair process.

    “We will insist that we will never again tolerate the interference of outsiders in the affairs of the Southwest”, said the Elders’ Causus in a comminique at the end of its meeting in Lagos.

    The communique reads in part:”The Southwest Elders Caucus met and deliberated exhaustively about the state of the Nigerian Union and particularly about the challenges in Yorubaland and thereby resolved:

    The Nigerian Union deserves peace, harmony, equity and a strengthened bond of brotherhood that will galvanize our nation to greater development and prosperity.

    All Elders, patriots, all people of goodwill across our land should speak out with courage and boldly about the perceived wrongs and the glaring imbalances in our polity.

    “We are in accord with the immortal words of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo who warned in 1983 that”If the current democratic experience should collapse, those of you younger than I will never see democracy again in your lifetime no matter how long you may live.”

    “We do not pray for the collapse of our democracy. But we urge for vigilance and constant monitoring of the affairs of the state.

    “We submit that the Nigerian Union has crossed a crucial threshold in the continuous struggle for a summative identity and national wholeness.

    We insist that the recent general elections were fraught with screaming flaws, deliberate sabotage, treachery and outright banditry.

    “The present electoral processes wherein result sheets are physically carried across the nation are absolutely primitive and apparently susceptible to all kinds of distortions.

    “The apparent distortions in Yobe, Borno, Rivers, Lagos, Adamawa, Kano and several other states diminish the purity of a fledgling democratic state.

    We urge the PDP Leadership to return to the First Principle of fairness, equity and justice. The Party must embrace men and women of selflessness and instinctive sacrifice rather than encourage little people who merely serve the hour.

    “We enjoin the PDP national leadership to start rebuilding the broken places, to start rectifying the wrongs so as to heal the still festering sores.

    “We support wholeheartedly the decision of our party to seek justice in the court of law rather than withdrawing into a shell of cowardice.

    “We believe and trust in the indivisibility of the Nigerian Union where merit prevails over mediocrity, where justice triumphs over inequity, where tribe and sectarian differences are promptly discarded for the greater good of the nation.

    “Finally, we do agree with Preet Bharara, a Former US Attorney who had proposed that “the right thing must be done the right way for the right reason” This much we advise the Chairman and other management team of INEC to embrace.”

  • Southwest PDP to Atiku: We want more than SGF

    The Southwest Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to give more key positions to the zone should he win next year’s election.

    The vice-chairman of the party in the zone, Dr Eddy Olafeso, made the demand in Lagos on Friday night, at a meeting of key members across the six states in the zone.

    He said though the promise of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot by Atiku was a good development, the zone deserved more key political and government positions.

    The vice-chairman said that the zone had been schemed out in the power arrangement of the party for the past few years.

    Olafeso said for Atiku to give the zone a sense of belonging and compensate “for the years of abandonment”, he should zone key positions of the Chief of Staff to the President and Attorney-General of the Federation to the Southwest in addition to the SGF.

    He said the zone had the second highest voting population in the country and would demand its fair share of political positions if PDP wins in 2019.

    “We have been denied for too long. In 2011, the country under the control of our party zoned the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the zone and it was taken away.

    “And from 2011 to 2015, we were left just like that and the reverberating effect of that abandonment is the reason why we are still having the hangover of neglect till today.

    “Now we are here again, the party is working with a zone with 14 million votes, the second largest in the country.  We refuse and we will not accept where we finish the job in the next election and for one reason or the other, we will not be considered.

    “We don’t have to wait till after the election before we say what we want. We want to let the party and our candidate know that certain positions are strategic to governance and we want them.

    “Yes, the SGF is great, but there is nothing wrong with having the Chief of Staff and Attorney-General on top of it to compensate us for the denials of the past, so that all of us can work as a united front.

    “We will continue to fight for it, we will speak with a loud voice. We give so much, so the zone deserves a lot,” he said.

    While congratulating Abubakar on his emergence as presidential candidate, Olafeso said the zone was pleased with the choice of Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, as his running mate.

    He said the country was faced with serious economic challenges, and Obi had the pedigree that could realise the party’s economic vision for Nigeria.

    Olafeso said the zone was concerned about the travails of former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over a case.

    He urged members of the party to stand with Fayose in his trying moment, saying the former governor was paying for being truthful and standing against injustice.

    “I was in the court the last time and I am glad to tell you that he has been granted bail.

    “We will do our best to ensure that he perfects his bail conditions and he is released soon,” he said.

    The meeting, according to the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), had in attendance a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; the current Deputy National Chairman (South),Chief Yemi Akinwonmi; and a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

    Also present were former Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Sola Obada; a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Makanjuola Badru; and a member of the National Assembly, Sen. Abiodun Olujimi.

    The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde; the governorship candidate in Ogun, Mr Ladi Adebutu; and a former governorship aspirant in Osun State, Chief Akin Ogunbiyi, were also at the meeting, among others.

     

  • Southwest PDP rejects Ekiti, Osun election results

    The Southwest leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to abide by the traditional culture of discipline, fair play, respect for order and equity in the affairs of the country.

    The party also warned that the nation’s democracy must not continue along what it called the “flawed, demeaning path”.

    The PDP was reacting to the manner the Ekiti and Osun states’ governorship elections were conducted.

    The party stated its position yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting of Southwest leaders of the party in Ibadan, the state capital.

    The meeting was chaired by Chief Olabode George and attended by the Deputy National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi; the zone’s Chairman, Eddy Olafeso; Oyo State governorship candidate, Seyi Makinde; Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof Olusola Eleka and delegates from Southwest states.

  • Southwest PDP faces uncertain prospects in 2019

    Less than seven months to next year’s general election, the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in chaos as the state chapters are polarised by the struggle for the soul of the party. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the implication of the war of attrition on the party ahead of the polls.

    THE defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent governorship election in Ekiti State is a major setback for the party. Ekiti was the last stronghold of the party, from where it had hoped to make inroads to other states in the region. Governor Ayodele Fayose has been the lone voice from the region recognised at the national level; he belongs to the inner caucus that determines the direction of affairs of the party. Now that the PDP has been swept out of power in Ekiti, the zone has lost out in the zone.

    Coming at a time the Southwest PDP is yet to get over how it was denied the opportunity of producing the national chairman, it is akin to adding insult to injury. The original strategy of the party was to micro-zone the position to the Southwest. But, at the National Convention of the party, the position went to Prince Uche Secondus from the Southsouth state of Rivers. Defending the choice of Secondus, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State said there was no micro-zoning and that the Southwest has not added any value to the party.

    Before now, the Southwest PDP has been embroiled in intractable crises. It has been fractionalised across the six states. As a result, it went into the 2015 general elections as a divided house. Not surprisingly, it performed woefully in that election. After the election, the zonal leadership could still not get its acts together. This was attributed to the loss of power at the centre. The party had used its control of the national leadership to provide lifeline to ailing state chapters, including those in the Southwest.

    The acrimony climaxed when the former National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, appointed a major financier, Senator Buruji Kashamu, as the Chairman of the Zonal Contact and Mobilisation Committee. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whose leadership the PDP rose to prominence in the Southwest, lost control of the party machinery even in his home state, Ogun. Under Obasanjo, the PDP won five out of six states in the Southwest.

    Analysts believe that the imposition of Kashamu was intended to spite the former President and curtail his political influence in the zone. Obasanjo vowed not to recognise Kashamu. Initially, Obasanjo withdrew from the party and subsequently left, by tearing his membership card in public.

    With the exit of Obasanjo and his supporters, the party still remained polarised. Beyond Ogun State, the discontent is such that virtually all the regional chapters are grappling with crises. The internal struggle for the party machinery and political offices has created more divisions in the fold.

    Lagos

    There is no end to the crisis in the Lagos State chapter. Its Chairman, Mr Moshood Salvador, is no longer in the good books of some of the party leaders. So, they are bent on removing him from office. But Salvador, a stooge of Chief Olabode George, has dismissed the threat.

    Some aggrieved leaders of the party, including its local government chairmen headed by its former organising secretary, Chief Taiwo Kuye, met in Ikorodu to move a motion to remove Salvador. The reason given was that Salvador refused to implement the party’s 65-35 percentage appointment distribution formula agreed by the Ahmed Makarfi and the Ali Modu-Sheriff-led factions.

    The agreement was that the Makarfi-led faction should be given 65 per cent of appointment, while the Modu-Sheriff-led faction should be given 35 per cent. The allegation is that Salvador has given less appointments to Makarfi-led faction. Chief Kuye, who is the arrow head of the group, moved a vote of no confidence on the embattled chairman, insisting that since he has refused to leave office, “Salvador must go”.

    A former state deputy chairman, Chief Ola Apena, who has a score to settle with Salvador, accused the chairman of sabotage. Apena said: “We must go back to 65 per cent. The fight has just started. Savador is a saboteur and a betrayer. I noticed he did not want Chief Bode George to be the PDP National Chairman; he worked against him.”

    The PDP Chairman in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mr. Israel Ogunrinde, said: “Salvador is no more our chairman. Anything short of 65-35 is a lie. No local government was given any representative. It is a fraud. Salvador is no more our chairman.”

    But, Salvador has denied the allegation saying they are alien to him. The chairman said: “We don’t know them. Our party is moving. The All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot sponsor some miscreants to destabilise our party. If anybody believes he or she can cause crisis in our party, it won’t work.”

    However, a party chieftain and former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, cautioned against fanning the embers of division within the party. He warned that the party would not realise its objective of capturing the state in 2019, if members were working at cross purposes.

    He added: “The PDP members in the state need to work in unity with one another to achieve our objective in the state. The general elections are around the corner. This is the time to unite and join forces for the battle ahead. Yes, there are disagreements, which are normal in a democracy. But, we will sort ourselves out.”

    Ogun

    The crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter dates back to the time the party was preparing for the 2011 general elections. It started as a proxy war between former President Obasanjo and former Governor Gbenga Daniel over the control of party structures ahead of the polls. The gladiators were divided over the choice of the governorship candidate. The party became polarised, with the Daniel camp leaving the fold to contest the election on a different platform. The division proved to be their undoing; as the two groups lost out in the elections.

    In an attempt to regain power in 2015, remnants of the party after the exit of Obasanjo and the Daniel camp re-united. They include supporters of Senator Kashamu and those of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole. The party lost the election. Shortly after the elections, the cracks that were hurriedly patched for the purpose of regaining power widened. With gladiators moving in different directions. The three gladiators conducted separate ward, local government and state congresses.

    The arrowheads are Senator Kashamu, Hon. Bankole and Hon. Ladi Adebutu, who represents Remo Constituency in the House of Representatives. Adebutu, backed by his father, Chief Adebutu Kessington, and Bankole are pitched in a fresh battle against Kashamu. While Adebutu is eying the governorship seat in 2019, Bankole is bent on taking his own pound of flesh from Kashamu, who single-handedly stopped him from picking the ticket for the 2015 polls.

    The leadership crisis has taken a fresh turn, following the refusal of the Court of Appeal to allow the case filed by the Sikrullah Ogundele faction against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognition of Bayo Dayo-led executive. The Ogundele-led faction is loyal to former Governor Gbenga Daniel and Dimeji Bankole group while Bayo Dayo –led executive was sponsored by Senator Buruji Kashamu.

    INEC had until recently recognised Ogundele as the chairman, a development that resulted in  litigations; culminating in a recent judgment of the Federal High Court that recognised Dayo. But, the national leadership of the PDP says Ogundele is the authentic chairman.

    Oyo

    Unless the Oyo State chapter puts its house in order, its dream of wresting power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 would be a mirage. The party is polarised into two groups: the Rasheed Ladoja Group and Seyi Makinde camp. As a result, the party held two parallel congresses that produced parallel executives. The Omokunmi Mustapha-led executive is loyal to Ladoja. The executive led by Joseph Adetoro have sympathy for Makinde.

    Prominent politicians in Ladoja group include Senators Olufemi Lanlehin,  Gbenga Babalola and Ayoade Adeseun; former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Teritory (FCT), Chief Jumoke Akinjide, former Deputy Governor Hameed Gbadamosi; Dr Saka Balogun and Chief Sarafadeen Ali. In Makinde’s camp are a former deputy governor, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi; former Leader House of Representatives, Mrs Mulikat Adeola-Akande and Senator Hosea Agboola.

    To ensure that peace reigns in the chapter, the national leadership had prepared a harmonised list comprising both factions. The list was said to have jolted the Ladoja group; The list ceded 14 slots to Ladoja group, 12 went to Makinde. This did not meet the expectation of Ladoja group, and it is threatening to pull out of the party.

    The group boasted that its decision to leave the fold is not an empty threat, adding that it will not condone such an undue influence from the national leadership in favour of a tiny group, which is bent on lording its wish on the majority. However, Makinde who is eying the party’s governorship ticket in 2019 had pleaded with Ladoja not to make good his threat of dumping the party.

    The crisis has forced the former Deputy Senate Whip, Agboola, to resign his membership of the party. Agboola, who was in the forefront of those clamouring for the harmonisation of the executive, believes the decision of the national leadership has put the fate of Oyo PDP in the hands of Ladoja, whose leadership style would finally wreck the party.

    Osun

    The exit of Senator Iyiola Omisore from the PDP has brought relative peace to the chapter. Omisore and his supporters defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).  Prior to this development, the party was in turmoil. The strife and rancour was sustained by the rift between the former national chairmen Modu-Sheriff and Senator Makarfi. There were two parallel executives that were installed by Omisore group. One was led by Soji Adagunodo and the other by Bayo Faforiji.

    Analysts believe the exit of Omisore has weakened the PDP in the state. He was the major financier of the party. He had contested governorship election on the platform of the PDP twice and lost. The relative peace in Osun PDP may be threatened by last weekend’s governorship primary.

    Ondo

    The crisis rocking the PDP in Ondo State is yet to abate, despite the move to reconcile the warring factions. For over three years, the party has been enmeshed in leadership crisis. The genesis of the crisis can be traced to October 2014 when former Governor Olusegun Mimiko defected from the Labour Party to the PDP.  The mass exodus of the LP members into the PDP sparked an intense power struggle within the fold. The old members accused Mimiko of hijacking the party structure.

    The party split into two opposing camps, along Modu-Sheriff and Makarfi factions. One faction was led by Clement Faboyede and the other by Biyi Poroye. The leadership tussle resulted in the party fielding two candidates in the 2016 governorship election. The Faboyede faction, which was loyal to the Mimiko faction and the Makarfi group, fielded former State Attorney General, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN). Poroye group that had the backing of Sheriff faction settled for business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim.  After a prolonged litigation, the Supreme Court ruled that Jegede was the authentic PDP governorship candidate. The PDP lost the election to the APC candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

    Since 2016, the PDP has been in shambles. Instead of bringing the aggrieved members together for genuine reconciliation, the party leadership have resorted to vengeance. The Faboyede-led executive expelled the Poroye group from the party. The major problem facing the party is the return of Mimiko to Labour Party. Analysts say the return of Mimiko to the fold would spell doom for PDP in Ondo.

    Ekiti

    Outgoing Governor Fayose has turned the party into a personal property. This was responsible for the defection of many stalwarts to the APC, prior to the governorship election, which eventually led to its defeat at the contest. How Fayose would rebuild and reposition the party ahead of 2019 general elections is not known. Unless the national leadership comes in to rescue the party, it will take a long time to resuscitate the PDP in Ekiti.

     

  • Southwest PDP to hold rally in Osogbo

    The Southwest Zone of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday that it would hold a rally on May 5 to show its strength.

    The Chairman, Publicity Committee of the event, Mr. Moshood Salvador, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the rally, to be held in Osogbo, was also to mobilise members for the general election.

    He said it promised to be one of the biggest by the PDP in recent times, as members, including stalwarts within and out of the zone would attend.

    “Besides testing and showing our strength as a popular party in the zone, we will use the rally to strategise ahead of the general election,” Salvador said.

    Salvador, the PDP chairman in Lagos State, said the popularity of the party was soaring in the zone .

    He said people were waiting to vote for PDP after what he called the failure of All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls states in the zone except Ekiti.

    Salvador said PDP would win the coming governorship election in Ekiti State, again and again.

    He said the Governor Ayodele Fayose administration had endeared itself to the people through populist programmes.

    Salvador dismissed statements by APC aspirants that they would win in Ekiti, as empty boasts, saying the outcome of the election would put the state in the safe grip of PDP.

    He hoped PDP would win the forthcoming governorship election in Osun, as the party was popular in the state.

    “PDP is popular in Osun and I have no doubt that we will win the poll there.

    “The party won the last senatorial election through Senator Adeleke, and we were not the party in government.

    “That tells you our party is accepted in the state,” Salvador said.

    He said the determination of the party to capture Lagos next year was unwavering, adding that everything was being done to actualise that objective.

  • Appeal Court affirms Olafeso as Southwest PDP’s chief

    Appeal Court affirms Olafeso as Southwest PDP’s chief

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday granted an interim order staying execution of all orders granted by the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, restraining the Dr. Eddy Olafeso-led Southwest Zonal Executive from functioning.

    The three-man panel, led by Justice Ahmad Belgore, stopped proceedings at the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, pending the determination of the appeal.

    In granting the application for stay of execution on Justice Taiwo’s orders, the appellate court took cognisance of the pending application to commit Olafeso and his exco members to prison for alleged contempt, for hearing at the Ado-Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.

    The court frowned on a letter, dated November 30, addressed to the presiding judge for the Ado-Ekiti Division, Justice Belgore, by a factional zonal chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, seeking the postponement of the hearing of the motion for a stay of execution filed by Olafeso.

    While Olafeso belongs to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s National Caretaker Committee, Ogundipe belongs to the sacked Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction.

    The Supreme Court, on July 12, affirmed Makarfi-led exco as the authentic leadership of the party and removed Sheriff from office as PDP’s National Chairman.

    Justice Belgore held: “All the orders and rulings of the lower court delivered on October 17, October 23, November 8 and November 27, 2017 have been stayed in the interim, meaning that those orders and rulings are of no value as from now and cannot be used anywhere, having been rendered null and void and that all the proceedings at the Federal High Court have been stayed pending the interlocutory appeal that is before the Appeal Court.”

    The court adjourned further hearing on the appeal till January 15.

    Ogundipe said the Supreme Court judgment did not invalidate his executive, adding that the verdict only affected the national body, led by Sheriff.

  • PDP to kick out Kashamu

    PDP to kick out Kashamu

    •Fayose to declare my presidential ambition October 1

    Leaders and other Southwest stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday dissociated themselves from Senator Buruji Kashamu.

    The senator currently represents Ogun East in the National Assembly.

    He was the Chairman of the party’s National Mobilisation Committee.

    The zonal leadership also said it had cut ties with the senator and directed the leadership of the party in Ogun State to stop dealings and meetings with him and his agents until further notice.

    The zonal leaders spoke at the end of a meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, where they discussed and took decisions on important issues affecting the progress of the PDP in the Southwest.

    The meeting was attended by PDP leaders from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos states.

    They include Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, a former Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Bode George, former Ogun State Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Osun State Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore, Dr. Saka Balogun, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Elder Wole Oyelese and a former Southwest Zonal Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

    Others include a former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, Senator Hosea Agboola and Senator Ayo Adeseun.

    The leaders, who condemned what they called Kashamu’s “destabilising and anti-party activities”, also called for disciplinary actions against him for his alleged roles in the party’s electoral loss in Ogun, Ondo and Edo states.

    Welcoming the leaders to the meeting, the Zonal Chairman, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, expressed joy over the party’s victory at the Supreme Court, which upheld the Ahmed Markafi faction of the party.

    Fayose, who accused Kashamu of being responsible for the challenges confronting the party in the Southwest, advised the state party leaders to take charge of their states and disallow other people from hijacking the party from them.

    He said: “All people that are destabilising the peace in PDP, we must sanction them. Nobody is greater that this party. If you call yourself a leader and you are waging war against it, definitely you are an enemy of the party.

    “So, our meeting resolved that we don’t want him again in our party. We are not ready to have anything to do with him again. We have directed all the states to stay clear from him.”

    A communique issued at the end of the meeting reads in part: “The Zonal Leadership also hereby condemns and regrets the action and ignoble role of some of its membership that led to the unfortunate experience and trauma that held the entire party down for over a year now and pray that may such never recur again in our great party

    “The entire Southwest leadership and stakeholders condemn the destabilizing and anti-party activities of Senator Buruji Kashamu and demand disciplinary actions against him for his roles in the loss of the party in Ogun, Ondo and Edo states.

    “The zonal leadership and stakeholders hereby dissociate the zone from the activities of Senator Buruji Kashamu and resolve further to henceforth desist from dealing with him in any capacity in the zone, and the leadership of the party in Ogun state is hereby directed to stop all dealings and meetings involvement with Senator Buruji Kashamu and his agents until further notice

    “The Zonal Leadership and stakeholders also hereby reject any association whatsoever with Senator Buruji Kashamu henceforth.”

     

    I’m not afraid of expulsion, says senator

    The Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, has declared that he is not afraid of being expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    He faulted Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose who yesterday declared him a persona non grata in Ibadan.
    Kashamu, in a statement, said the Ekiti governor should be ignored by the people of the Southwest.
    He described those who met in Ibadan as “some impostors parading themselves as the Southwest zonal executives of our party”.
    The senator said: “Although I know that he lacks the wherewithal to pull through his wishes, let me quickly state that I am not afraid of any expulsion. I am a man whom the Almighty Allah has blessed and who has made a name before I joined politics. And I will continue to be relevant, in and out of party politics.
    “The truth is: besides the illegality of their so-called resolutions, I do not need the association of Fayose and his cohorts. It is Fayose and his gang that should be avoided by our people. They should run from him for his ignoble role in the N13.5 billion arms funds scandal and for setting our party and region on a collision course with the rest of the country. He has since been declared a persona non grata and unfit among reasonable and right-thinking members of the society.
    “The purported resolutions against me by these political harlots are at best a comic-relief of no consequence whatsoever. Fayose and his lackeys are better known for their duplicitous flirtations which borders on the politics of bread and butter. They are a hungry lot who are ruled and blindfolded by inordinate ambition.
    “Besides, their action shows that Fayose and his minions are either strangers in the party or ignorant of the party’s Constitution, or both. Otherwise, they would have known that Article 57 (7) of the Constitution of PDP states, ‘Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the National Assembly.’

    “The illegal group being promoted by Fayose through Olafeso and Jenyo are contemnors who will soon face the consequences of their actions; except reason and justice prevail.”