The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may not abate any time soon, especially in the South West Zone with the major power blocs holding onto their grounds.
This is not going down well with some of the leaders of the party who feel that the party is not seizing the opportunity of the vulnerability of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to re-launch itself in the region. A competent source close to one of the former governors of the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak publicly, said that there is tension in the party.
“There is internal rebellion among the governors going on both at the national and zonal levels. Some of them feel that Secondus has overstayed his welcome and he should be seconded out. They are looking at the APC templates where the governors have taken over the party machinery. “In the APC, they said the National Executive Committee Council (NEC), has reneged on its agreement the Governor Mai mala Buni-led Caretaker/National Convention Planning Committee got an extension of six months.
They had hoped that another set of people would be appointed to lead the party’s caretaker committee.” Our source continued: “The main issue is the group supportive of the former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, who do not accept Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as their leader.
“He feels he is too young and a new comer, who does not have the experience they have. This is giving them a lot of headache. Why should he be the leader of the party in South West? “They believe that if they want to fight, they have what it takes to fight. That Makinde is not the governor of their state.
So why should they defer to him?” “But Senator Biodun Olujimi has aligned with Makinde. If they come together they can take the state back from the APC. “Former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni too is interested in becoming the governor in 2022. They believe that they can use the old structure to win in Ekiti.
“The Makinde/ Fayose crisis is still hampering the zonal election and they do not know where the party is heading to. This made the PDP to lose completely in the by-election held in Lagos recently. “Some leaders of the South West are meeting in Fayose’s house.
Senator Nicholas Tofowomo led a delegation of the party from Ondo State to Fayose’s house in Lagos recently where they pledged their loyalty. “Tofowomo pledged that the PDP in Ondo State would vote for Eddy Olafeso as the national vice chairman and other candidates presented by the Fayose group.”
In his response, Fayose said he remained steadfast and loyal to the party, adding that only people in Governor Makinde’s group were insinuating that he was in APC. Furthermore, they resolved that they would have nothing to do with the Oyinlola Peace Committee.
But in swift reaction, the State Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei disowned the delegation.
In a statement he signed the following day, he said: “We also want to put it on record that, the State Executive Committee of the PDP in Ondo State did not send any delegation to anywhere to represent the party.
“Whoever lays claim to such is an impostor and does not represent the opinions of our teeming supporters in the state. “In APC, certain tendencies are angry now because they shifted the goal post during the match. They are all repositioning for 2023.
They have completely seized the party machinery as they sent away Adam Oshiomhole. Everybody is repositioning to where the action is. This is evident in Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State who defected to APC recently. “In Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has taken over while Amosun and his group have lost out because he is no longer the governor. He is very angry. Dapo Abiodun told his brother governors not to abandon him in the fight.
They rallied round him. That if they left him, it is him today, and it might anybody’s turn tomorrow. They must be able to defend themselves. “Also, in Ekiti State, APC is in disarray as the Governor, Kayode Fayemi and former Senator, Babafemi Ojudu do not see eye-to-eye. “Fayemi is playing national politics. He wants to be the President in 2023.
That is why he went to give the Arewa Lecture not long ago. Of course we know what the Sultan and Governor Nasir El-Rufai said that he is their son in whom they are well pleased and that when the time comes, the reason why they invited him to give the lecture would be made known to all.
“Furthermore, part of the problem was that they could not get the Mimiko group to support Eyitayo Jegede in the Ondo State governorship election and if they continue, they may not take back the state like they did in 2003. “In Ogun State, the exit of Buruji Kashamu has given them a new challenge.
The same people are asking former governor OGD (Otunba Gbenga Daniel) to return to the party. “Party leaders have been going to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo to prevail on him to make the job of Oyinlola, the Chairman of the Reconciliation Committee easier with the view to having a good outing in 2022. “They are reaching out to Alao-Akala too to come back.
Should they fail, that will be the end of PDP.” But Fayose is gradually consolidating his hold on the party in the South West. Currently he enjoys the support of three states’ chairmen in the zone, with the exception of Oyo State.
A day after he celebrated his 60th birthday, last month, Lagos State PDP Chairman, Deji Doherty led Chairmen of the party in all the LGs in the state to congratulate Fayose on the milestone. Also, they held a meeting with Fayose, where they expressed their support for the State Chairman, Doherty and Fayose.
The party’s chairman in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area and Chairman of the LG Chairmen, Sunday Olaifa spoke on behalf of the chairmen. But National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, has insisted there is no cause for alarm, as PDP is not rattled.
He said: “PDP has never been rattled and will be rattled by anyone. PDP is a national party; it does not belong to one man from the North or one man from the South.
“We are one and indivisible party under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus. He is steadying the party for the purpose for which Nigerians are aligning with us come 2023.”
