Gradually those with the swords and daggers in the PDP are bringing them out in the open. Some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have insisted the national chairman and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) take the fall for the party’s abysmal failure in the 2015 general elections by resigning from their positions so as to let the party regroup, restructure and prepare for the 2019 elections.
The NWC however has declared a full all out war on those clamoring for their resignation after their initial wait and see approach to the issue.
On Sunday, May 3, 2015, the National Secretary of the PDP, Adewale Oladipo, accused some leaders of the party from the South-West zone of sowing a seed of discord in the party. His claims followed a demand on Friday by the South-West caucus of PDP for me-mbers of the PDP National Working Committee to resign their positions in order for the party to restructure.
Among those at the South West meeting were Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Olusegun Mimiko (who sent a representative), former deputy national vice chairman, Bode George, Chief Tajudeen Oladipo, Senator Bode Olajumoke, Segun Adegoke, Chief Lekan Balogun, Ogun State governorship candidate in the last election, Mr Gboyega Isiaka, Senator Femi Kila, and ex-PDP chairman in Ekiti State, Chief Bola, among others.
PDP secretary Oladipo expressed disappointment with the resignation demand by members of the party from his own South West zone. He said that after “a very careful examination of the inherent breaches in the procedures adopted in the convening of the meeting as well as the content and tone of its resolution shows an orchestration by a few individuals bent on sowing a seed of discord within the PDP fold in the zone.
“This is evident in the fact that the said communiqué in no way reflected the views of majority of those who attended the meeting, neither did it tally with the opinion of the generality of our party members in the region.”
He further said that the meeting was invalid as it was a clear breach of protocol as those who attended it did not have the authority to discuss issues concerning the party’s presidential campaign because the highest-ranking national officers of the party from the South-West were excluded.
In an indirect jab at President Jonathan, the secretary said that this was how the NWC was marginalised during the presidential campaign which also contributed to the party’s defeat.
He said, “While some of those asking us to resign performed very poorly even in their polling units, it is on record that the national auditor and my humble self performed creditably and delivered our areas in the general elections.
“It is, therefore, disheartening that rather than joining other well-meaning members of our great party in supporting the National Working Committee in the ongoing re-engineering process to rebuild the PDP, some elders from our zone, particularly, a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, who should know better, have instead resorted to divisive politics by attempting to instigate our members against one another. What our party needs now in the South-West and indeed across the country is for all hands to be on the deck as we work harmoniously in our determination to reposition the PDP to regain power in 2019.”
