New Telegraph

Makinde and South- West leadership crisis

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not new to crises. For many years, schism stunted its success in Ogun and Lagos chapters. In this analysis, BIYI ADEGOROYE writes that how the party handles the smoldering fire in the South-West is critical to its performance in the next elections

 

For a party that made an impressive showing in the South-West in the last few elections, losing by hair’s breathe in controversial circumstances in Osun State governorship elections, but recorded victory in the Oyo State governorship poll, the least expected was that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would be bedeviled by crisis in the zone.

 

But it seems it is. Rather than consolidating on its political gains in the zone where it scored the bull’s eye by winning two senatorial seats in Ondo State and three seats in the House of Representatives, the PDP in the last few weeks has seemingly embarked on a voyage of selfdestruction ahead of the 2023 elections.

 

Coming at a time when its fortunes recorded in the 2019 elections where it clinched the governorship seats in Sokoto, Bauchi and a few others, are dwindling in the South-East, where it hitherto held sway, the defection of the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the latest development, if anything presents dangerous signals to the party.

 

 

Ahead of the party’s zonal congress holding anytime in January, following the dissolution of the Dr. Eddy Olafeso- led Zonal Executive Committee, the party in the zone is now engulfed in a leadership crisis with Governor Seyi Makinde and former Governor Ayodele Fayose leading differing groups.

 

Sources close to the party said that the leadership crisis was borne out of the desire of Governor Makinde to operate as the leader of the party in the zone, as the highest elected office holder and an alleged insistence that the zonal chairman and woman leader of the party should come from Oyo State.

 

Besides, Governor Makinde was accused of disregard for a party agreement on maintaining the status quo respecting the zonal leadership of the party, even as he allegedly refused to defer to former governor in the zone being his senior in ranking to lead the party.

 

That explained why the party held parallel zonal meetings recently, one in Ikeja Lagos, under the chairmanship of Fayose and the other in Ibadan, with Governor Makinde, the only serving governor in the zone presiding. Among those in attendance at the meeting in Lagos were the PDP Chairman in Ekiti State, Hon Bisi Kolawole; his counterpart in Ogun, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele; Engr Deji Doherty (Lagos) and Elder Sunday Akanfe (Deputy State Chairman Osun State PDP.

 

Others were Chief Femi Babalola and Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeniyan. The meeting in Ibadan earlier had Governor Makinde; former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, former governors of Osun and Ekiti states, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Engr Segun Oni, where a reconciliation committee headed by Oyinlola was set up. Other members of the committee were Chief Saka Balogun; Chief (Mrs.) Kofoworola Bucknor- Akerele, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru and Barr Olayinka Kukoyi.

 

Hon Dayo Ogungbenro, Caretaker Chairman, PDP, South-West, said that at the end of the meeting that the leaders agreed that a concrete and positive step be taken on the need for unity and cohesion in the party, stating that the zone remains strategic to the PDP if it must win presidential and other national elections in the country.

 

Ogungbemiro said the leadership that met in Ibadan had zoned zonal offices of the party to the following  states: Zonal Chairman – Oyo State, Zonal Secretary – Lagos State, Zonal Publicity Secretary – Ekiti State, Zonal Organising Secretary – Ondo State, Zonal Financial Secretary – Osun State, and Zonal Youth Leader – Osun State,

 

Similarly, Zonal Legal Adviser – Ogun State, Zonal Treasurer – Ogun State, Zonal Women Leader – Oyo State and Zonal Auditor – Lagos State. Fayose faction set up a six-member reconciliation committee under the chairmanship of Engr Babalola with Chief Ogunjobi; Barr Ahmed Okandeji Mustapha; Chief Idowu Odeyemi and Chief Tunde Akindehin, and Prince Diran Odeyemi as Secretary.

 

The faction also constituted a committee to assess and identify factors responsible for what it called “unprecedented, woeful performance” of PDP in the recent Ondo State governorship election and submit its report along with recommendations.

 

The group expressed its disappointment over the party’s colossal loss in the Ondo election despite the fact that it won the presidential election, two senatorial seats and three House of Representatives seats in 2019.

 

“This loss runs contrary to the trend of recent success attained in such elections in (a) Oyo which we successfully won in 2019 (b) Osun which we won outstandingly but was irresponsibly  hijacked by the APC controlled Federal Government through criminal abuse of privileges and (c) Ekiti that was hijacked.”

 

Though some party leaders were of the opinion that Governor Makinde is the leader of the party, having been playing that role with his performance in Kogi, Edo and Ondo states governorship elections, others are uncomfortable with the development.

 

Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan, a frontline member of PDP in Oyo State said the Ibadan meeting which “deliberately excluded some notable leaders of the party in the South-West” did not represent the interest of the PDP, thus indicating that the Oyinlola committee may not enjoy any recognition.

 

The legitimacy of the Ibadan meeting and Oyinlola committee was further degraded considering the fact that four out of the six state chairmen of the party in the zone attended the Lagos meeting.

 

However, the leadership of the PDP in Ondo State Chapter which supports Makinde denied the existence of any crisis in the party and urged “those fanning the embers of disunity” to stare clear of Ondo State.

 

After a meeting attended by all State Working Members, Chairman and Secretary of the State Elders Committee  Board of Trustee Members, all former state chairmen and governorship candidate of the party at the Ondo 2020 election, the state threw its weight behind Makinde being the highest political office holder in the zone.

 

“As Chairman of the National Campaign Council for Ondo 2020 Governorship Elections, Governor Makinde did not only make himself available for the election, he stood with us throughout the campaigns and the election.

 

Ondo State PDP is not made up of ingrates, but a crop of matured and resourceful leaders who can read in between the lines,” said Kennedy Peretei, the State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Ondo State. Interestingly, during PDP governorship campaign in Ondo State a couple of months ago, former Governor Fayose was almost humiliated and his cap flung off his head by some party members, an issue which has remained unsettled.

 

But former Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Ayo Fadaka insists there are serious issues in the party which must be addressed to avert damaging consequences. He said the fact that party leaders from Ogun State visited Fayose, pledging their support for his leadership besides the three other state executives working with Fayose sent interesting signals.

 

Fadaka said Kennedy Peretei, the State Publicity Secretary’s position “that there are no cleavages in the party stems from a poor understanding of mechanisms that propel party actions. For instance, Dr. Eddy Olafeso and I are interested in contesting elections into zonal positions Governor Makinde wants to take away from our state and you expect us to just agree to that without activating our inalienable rights?

To that extent, there are cleavages in the party! What I believe he should say is that there are no schisms in the party in Ondo State and I will gladly agree with him.”

 

Fadaka said the zoning strategically carried out in Ibadan was designed to scheme some party leaders out of some key positions and ran contrary to decision taken previously by the leadership of the party.

 

“Only unstructured people can readily acquiesce with unnecessary repudiation of resolutions and agreements and as such leaders across the zone from Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, majorly, and many from Oyo and Ondo take exceptions to the fresh alterations of the Ibadan meeting. “

That the fact that Dr. Eddy Olafeso and I, Ayo Fadaka are interested in contesting again as National Vice Chairman and Zonal Publicity Secretary respectively, and are widely supported across the zone clearly indicate that we are no vassals of anyone in this party. We remain loyal and committed members of our party, willing and ready to continue to work for our party,” he said.

 

Fadaka commended Fayose’s leadership and support for “our aspirations and indeed party interest across the zone and nation.

I also appreciate other leaders like Senator Demola Adeleke of Osun, Hon Ladi Adebutu of Ogun and Dr. Ogunkelu of Lagos for their steadfastness.” Speaking on the issue, Dr. Olafeso was optimistic, stating that former Governor Fayose and Governor Seyi Makinde are leaders in their own rights and “at the appointed time they will come together.

I want to appeal and encourage others too, rather than dividing them, they should find a way to unite them.” He however, added that across the zone, leadership must begin to act as leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Leaderships is about enduring criticism and ensuring that you bring them out for the purpose of improving the positivity and recreating a new energy and environment to build a better future.

 

“The truth is that at the end of the day, brotherhood would still have to prevail; we all need to sit at a table and discuss this matter, all these grandstanding about this and that cannot help us or take us anywhere.

 

“We are moving towards 2023 and the idea is for us to be united, to carry everybody along because politics is not something you do alone, but it is consensus in building a united front, create a vision and continue to push the same vision that can develop the society and improve on life and create prosperity for the majority of our people.”

Read Previous

Outrage trails move to slash cars’ import levy from 35% to 5%

Read Next

Exemplary style of Raymond Dokpesi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *