The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Southwest PDP

  • Southwest PDP rally tears chieftains, aides apart

    Southwest PDP rally tears chieftains, aides apart

    Unsavory developments during last week’s South-West PDP rally have raised more questions over chieftains’ capacity to raise enough support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election, reports Assistant editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Reading chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the South-West could not hide their fury last Saturday at the Tafawa Balewa venue of the zone’s PDP mega rally when the crowd started leaving in droves barely an hour after the commencement of proceedings.

    The mega rally that brought together supporters and chieftains of the party from all the South-West states, saw many of the aspirants on the platform of the party struggling to outdo themselves as their supporters moved round the venue with banners and placards announcing their various aspirations.

    The rally, which took place at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos, was graced by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, BOT members, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, among other high ranking members of the Jonathan administration.

    About half an hour after the arrival of Jonathan, who came in at about 1.45pm, the crowd of party supporters, who had been waiting patiently since 10 am, started dispersing. Neither the constant pleas of the programme anchors nor the frantic efforts of some party leaders could save the situation as the venue became half empty in no time.

    The incident happened even before President Jonathan, who had moved round the venue waving to the crowd on arrival, addressed the gathering.

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that some of the chieftains were yet to make up with their aides over what they termed as ineffectiveness on the part of those they saddled with the responsibilities of mobilising, co-ordinating and controlling their supporters at the Tafawa Balewa Square rally.

    An aide to one of the gubernatorial aspirants in Oyo State told our correspondent that the bad blood generated between him and his boss by the unruly behaviour of their supporters at the rally was yet to be resolved.

    “Oga is still very angry over the matter. The way our supporters left the venue midway really annoyed him and he is not hiding it. He could not understand why people who had waited for days for the event couldn’t spare some few more hours to listen to the President’s speech before exiting the venue unceremoniously.

    “The fact that we all wore an ‘aso-ebi’ uniform made it even worse as it was easy for everybody, especially the party leaders to know whose supporters were leaving. This further annoyed our symbol who couldn’t hide his anger as he started calling some of us on phone the very minute he noticed the movement of our people out of the Square.

    “Even now, days after we returned to Oyo, he is yet to call any meeting of his aides. He is still angry though we have taken time to explain what happened to him,” the politician said.

    At the rally, our correspondent, listening from a vantage position close to dignitaries present, overheard some of them expressing displeasure with the development while trying to reach out to their supporters and aides in a spirited bid to save the situation.

    “Tell them to at least wait for the President to make his speech. Then they can leave. Beg them not to do this,” a governorship aspirant from Oyo State pleaded.

    A serving minister, while urging his associates to ensure his own supporters remained in the square, promised to personally take good care of those that will stay till the end of the programme.

    “Go and tell them I want to see everybody here at the end of the rally. I will also personally take good care of those I see then,” he said.

    The Nation gathered that some of the reasons responsible for the hurried departure of the people were hunger, fatigue and fear. Most of them, it was gathered, arrived in Lagos days before the rally in their bid to ensure they had vantage positions to stay and promote the aspirations of their principals.

    “We’ve been here since yesterday. We came all the way from Oyo and arrived here yesterday evening. We slept here on the hard floor. We couldn’t get food to eat as there were no food vendors around here. The eateries are too costly,” a supporter told The Nation.

    Another member from Ekiti said they had to leave because they had a long journies to make.

    “We left Ekiti yesterday morning and didn’t get here till around 5pm in the evening due to heavy traffic in town. We thought the programme will start by 9am as stipulated. But see the time now, 2pm and we are yet to really start. We don’t want to spend another night on the road. We’ve not eaten any good food for two days now,” he added.

    But a chieftain of the party, Hon. Hameed Ogundeko, a House of Representatives aspirant from Ogun State, blamed the development on the failure of the organisers of the rally to put in place adequate security measure at the venue of the rally.

    “The people left out of fear. Before the arrival of the President, it was raining heavily and those of us who were already in the square were not aware of the things happening outside. A lot of people were attacked and dispossessed of their phones, money and other valuables by miscreants that stormed the venue.

    By the time the rain stopped and the President arrived, those who had been attacked also came into the square and relayed their experiences to others. That was when the fear of what was likely to happen when the President and his security team leave the place.

    At that point, nobody wanted to wait and witness the unknown. There was even a stampede as people were rushing out of the venue while the President was still speaking. Many of the vehicles parked were vandalised. Even plate numbers were removed. The security situation was terrible.

    “For me, rather than blame my supporters for leaving, I am thanking God that none of them was wounded. I personally witnessed what happened outside before the arrival of the President. The urchins had a field day with little or no security personnel to challenge them.

    “But when the President’s security team arrived, they fled. That was when people left their hiding places and entered the venue. You can imagine how scared those who witnessed such incidents would be. So they simply urged their colleagues to leave the venue midway,” he explained.

  • Southwest PDP leaders void Filani’s suspension

    The Southwest zonal leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party have voided the suspension of Chief Ishola Filani as zonal chairman of the party.

    Filani was suspended on September 3, by a group within the zone, for allegedly running the affairs of the party as a personal estate.

    But rising from a meeting of the zonal forum in Abuja on Wednesday, the leaders described Filani’s suspension as illegal and unwarranted.

    Convener of the meeting, Chief Olabode George, said only the National Executive Committee of the party had the powers to suspend Filani and not a group within the zonal leadership.

    George added that the suspension order was inimical to the zone’s preparation for the 2015 general election, as, according to him, it could generate intractable crisis in the zone.

    He chided the group that suspended Filani for failing to explore laid down procedures and without taking into cognisance the implication of the action on the stability of the party in the zone.

    George also noted that the group failed to lodge any complaint against Filani before taking such action, adding that if allowed to stand, the order could jeopardise the existing fragile peace in the zonal chapter.

    George and other leaders at the meeting called on the national leadership of the party to call those behind the action to order.

    Also commenting on the suspension order, the Ondo State chairman of the PDP, Ebenezer Alade, said the party’s elders were not consulted before the action was taken.

    Alade said there was no record of wrongdoing against Filani before the national leadership of the party at the time he was suspended.

     

  • Southwest PDP chairman removed

    Southwest PDP chairman removed

    THE Southwest Zonal Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has removed its chairman, Chief Isola Filani.

    The party leadership disclosed this in a communique at the end of an extra-ordinary meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The meeting, which was attended by13 members of the zonal committee, passed a vote of no confidence in the embattled chairman.

    The meeting, which was presided over by an ex-officio, Ayotunde Olowofoyeku, appointed the former treasurer, Lanre Orimoloye, as acting chairman.

    The zonal executive accused Filani of “running a one-man” administration, adding that he refused to call meetings, contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.

    But when contacted, Filani said he did not know how the committee came to the conclusion.

    “I was not at the meeting. I don’t know how they came to that conclusion,” he said.

    The communiqué issued by committee reads: “The meeting is being held in accordance with Section 27: 3 & 4 of our party’s constitution, which authorises the two-third majority of our members to convene a meeting.

    “The Zonal Executive Committee hereby urges Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to declare his intention to contest the 2015 Presidential elections, stating that the SW (Southwest) Zone will give him all necessary support.

    “The Zonal Executive Committee congratulates the good people of Ekiti State, our party and the Governor-elect, Dr. Ayo Fayose, on the victory of our party in the June 21st, 2014 gubernatorial election.

    “In the same vein, the Zonal Executive Committee hereby congratulates our party and the gubernatorial candidate Senator Iyiola Omisore on the significant success recorded in the August 9th, 2014 gubernatorial elections in Osun State. The zone equally gives support to the party’s efforts to reclaim our mandate at the tribunal.

    “The meeting also reviewed the activities of the zone since the emergence of the caretaker committee. It noted that Mr. Chairman, Chief Ishola Filani, has been running a one-man show and has not carried the members along in the running, finance and other statutory issues of the zone.

    “In the light of the above, the meeting hereby passes a vote of no confidence on the chairman, Chief Ishola Filani.

    “Finally, for the smooth running of the zone, the meeting hereby appoints Lanre Orimoloye – the Zonal Treasurer – to act in his place and Ayo Olowofoyeku, the Zonal Ex-Officio from Osun State to Act as the Zonal Treasurer.”

    The communique was signed by the 13 members present at the meeting.

    They include the Secretary, Chief Adepegba Otemolu; the Women Leader, Chief Wunmi Osinroluke-Euba; the Financial Secretary, Otunba Banji Obasanmi and the Publicity Secretary, Waheed Lawal, a lawyer.

    Lawal said, by the development, Filani would now attend meetings as an ordinary member.

    The committee was inaugurated in February last year.

  • Southwest PDP chairman removed

    Southwest PDP chairman removed

    THE Southwest Zonal Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has removed its chairman, Chief Isola Filani.

    The party leadership disclosed this in a communique at the end of an extra-ordinary meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The meeting, which was attended by13 members of the zonal committee, passed a vote of no confidence in the embattled chairman.

    The meeting, which was presided over by an ex-officio, Ayotunde Olowofoyeku, appointed the former treasurer, Lanre Orimoloye, as acting chairman.

    The zonal executive accused Filani of “running a one-man” administration, adding that he refused to call meetings, contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.

    But when contacted, Filani said he did not know how the committee came to the conclusion.

    “I was not at the meeting. I don’t know how they came to that conclusion,” he said.

    The communiqué issued by committee reads: “The meeting is being held in accordance with Section 27: 3 & 4 of our party’s constitution, which authorises the two-third majority of our members to convene a meeting.

    “The Zonal Executive Committee hereby urges Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to declare his intention to contest the 2015 Presidential elections, stating that the SW (Southwest) Zone will give him all necessary support.

    “The Zonal Executive Committee congratulates the good people of Ekiti State, our party and the Governor-elect, Dr. Ayo Fayose, on the victory of our party in the June 21st, 2014 gubernatorial election.

    “In the same vein, the Zonal Executive Committee hereby congratulates our party and the gubernatorial candidate Senator Iyiola Omisore on the significant success recorded in the August 9th, 2014 gubernatorial elections in Osun State. The zone equally gives support to the party’s efforts to reclaim our mandate at the tribunal.

    “The meeting also reviewed the activities of the zone since the emergence of the caretaker committee. It noted that Mr. Chairman, Chief Ishola Filani, has been running a one-man show and has not carried the members along in the running, finance and other statutory issues of the zone.

    “In the light of the above, the meeting hereby passes a vote of no confidence on the chairman, Chief Ishola Filani.

    “Finally, for the smooth running of the zone, the meeting hereby appoints Lanre Orimoloye – the Zonal Treasurer – to act in his place and Ayo Olowofoyeku, the Zonal Ex-Officio from Osun State to Act as the Zonal Treasurer.”

    The communique was signed by the 13 members present at the meeting.

    They include the Secretary, Chief Adepegba Otemolu; the Women Leader, Chief Wunmi Osinroluke-Euba; the Financial Secretary, Otunba Banji Obasanmi and the Publicity Secretary, Waheed Lawal, a lawyer.

    Lawal said, by the development, Filani would now attend meetings as an ordinary member.

    The committee was inaugurated in February last year.

  • Southwest PDP faults court on Oyinlola’s replacement

    A faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest has faulted the decision of a Federal High Court, Abuja, that ordered the replacement of the sacked National Secretary of the party, Olagunsoye Oyinlaola, with another person. Spokesman for the faction, Mr. Kunle Olojede, said in Abuja yesterday that the court presided over by Justice Abdul Kafarati, was wrong to declare that the position of the PDP National Secretary be filled by another person after nullifying the election that produced Oyinlola. “The court cannot replace, it can only remove,” Olojede said. He also opposed the endorsement of Professor Wale Oladipo as the party’s Acting National Secretary pending the conduct of PDP’s National Executive Council election. The faction said it has endorsed the party’s former governorship aspirant in Osun State, Wahab Olatoye as its candidate for the position of National Secretary at the next NEC election. Olojede said the choice of Oladipo is unacceptable to the people. He said his faction is not opposed to the candidature of either Professor Tunde Adeniran or Chief Ebenezer Babatope, but would prefer “a young, dynamic and grass root politician” in the event that none of the two elders are ready to contest. The choice of a grass root and young candidate, he said, is to ensure that the Southwest PDP delivers the region to the party in 2015. His words:”We, in the South West, want a substantive Secretary and not an Acting one. We need a grass root, young and vibrant politician who can deliver the South West in 2015. “We are not in support of Professor Wale Oladipo, if our two elders who we revered so much are not contesting for the post again, then we will throw our weight behind one of the pioneer member of the PDP and grass root politician in Osun state, precisely from Obokun, Barrister Wahab Olatoye. “We are confident in Olatoye’s ability to deliver the South West to PDP come 2015,” Olojede said.

  • Southwest PDP reconciliation committees submit reports

    The reports of the reconciliation committees set up by the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been submitted to the Zonal Caretaker Committee chaired by Chief Ishola Filani.

    Filani, who confirmed this to reporters in Lagos, said the reports from the six states have been submitted to another review panel, which has submitted a final recommendation to the zonal interim leadership.

    He said the party set up the panel to enable the aggrieved chieftains air their grievances, adding that the move has assisted the leadership in conflict management.

    Filani said: “We have worked hard to identify the areas of conflict in the different state chapters. Towards this end, we have sent visitation panels to the six states in the zone and I am happy to say that not only have the reports been submitted, a review panel has worked on them and submitted its report. We are set to implement the recommendations. I am confident that when implemented, our party will witness the rebirth, which we badly need.”

    A PDP source said the committee for Lagos State expressed concern about the disunity in the fold as manifested by the caucuses working at cross-purposes.

    It added: “The committee suggested that only internal democracy can restore the party to the path of honour and this is what we will employ to elect new executive committee next time. The committee seems to be impressed by the way the Chairman, Capt.Tunji Shelle (rtd), is managing the affairs of the party, but real power and influence are wielded by the likes of Bode George, Adesheye Ogunlewe and Musiliu Obanikoro. If these three leaders work together in harmony, the party will be repositioned. This is what the committee noted in the report.”

    In Ekiti State, the committee attributed the crisis in the chapter to the rancorous congress, which led to the emergence of the zonal chairman, Mr. Segun Oni, who has been shoved aside by the national leadership. The committee also acknowledged that the State Executive Committee is not supported by some key leaders, who have an axe to grind with former Governor Ayo Fayose, whose supporters form the bulk of the state officers.

    According to the sources, the members of the committee also said the chapter is preparing for next year’s governorship election as a divided house. They canvassed consensus candidature, stressing that the move would prevent post-primary crisis.