…’Day dreaming allowed in Democracy‘
Razaq Bamidele
The city of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, played host to members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), across the country when they came calling for a crucial meeting where almost all former members came back to their original abode.
Recall that during the fall out of party primaries towards the 2019 general elections, not a few aggrieved members decamped to other parties of their choices to realise their various political aspirations. Some of the parties that absorb the decampees into their fold included the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Mention could be made of notable ones among them like the former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, his former Deputy, Erelu Olusola Obada, and her Oyo State counterpart, Taofeek Arapaja, former Osun State Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and the party’s governorship candidate in the 2014 election, in Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.
Others present at the unification rally included but not limited to Mr. Diran Odeyemi, Chief Oyewole Fasaye, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Mr Ademola Ige, Dr. Gbenga Babalola, Chief Eddy Olafeso, Mr. Ademola Ige, Alhaji Shuibe Oyedokun and Chief Olabode George, Prince Toyese Oyinlola and Mutiat Ladoja.
The meeting was also graced by Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State who received the returnees back to fold. National chairman of the party, Uche Secondu, was represented on the occasion.
The city of Ibadan, Oyo state, The Nigerian Xpress learnt, was chosen as the venue of the parley because of the city being seen as the headquarters of the south-west politics.
And again one of them, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, who, against all odd defeated the ruling APC government in the state to become governor on the ticket of the PDP, was another reason for their choice of venue.
The elated Governor Makinde was quoted to have said that the parley was the beginning of unity for the PDP.
They did not mince words in declaring that the leadership of the APC in the country has failed the people, thereby calling for total restructuring of the PDP with a view to taking their rightful place back on the driver’s seat.
In his remarks, former Governor Oyinlola chided the ruling APC saying its leadership was not doing the right thing for the country, describing them as, “square pegs in round holes.”
While contributing, former National Deputy Chairman of the party, Olabode George boasted that, “we are going to reclaim all the states controlled by the APC in the zone.”
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But reacting to their out, the south-west zonal secretary of the APC, Mr Ayo Afolabi described the Ibadan rally of the APC as an exercise in futility, adding that, “if the purpose of their gathering was to capture the south-west, they are day dreaming.”
Afolabi who admitted that, “day dreaming is allowed in democracy,” however asked sarcastically, “who is their arrow head that has the capability to lead them to the promise land?”
According to the APC chieftain, the PDP is non-existent in the south-west because they are already in disarray, asserting that, “they are empty, disorganized and traumatised.”
When reminded that the PDP is controlling Oyo State presently, Afolabi asked what he has been able to do since his assumption of office besides payment of salaries, reminding that, “the APC government under Senator Biola Ajimobi did not owe anybody salary and yet he achieved in concrete term.
Concluding, the APC south-west scribe enthused that by 2023, Oyo State would be back to where it rightly belongs suspecting that, “the PDP people might be banking on possible after primaries crises that would give them opportunity to hijack some of likely aggrieved contestants from our party as their candidates.
“If that is what they are waiting for and banking on, they have missed it because our party has effective crisis resolution mechanism that our able leadership would deplore to handle any possible crisis that might come up. In fact, if that is what they are banking on, they are already swimming in the ocean of illusion.”
