Lagos PDP: Reconciling a divided house

Last week, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos state chapter, begun reconciliatory moves to unite the party that has been in disarray since 2015, ahead of the LG poll in the state. TOPE MUSOWO reports

A factional leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State Mr. Segun Adewale (Aeroland), last week, took steps to reconcile with Hon. Adegoke Salvador, with the sole aim of delivering victory to the PDP at the coming council poll, decrying the crisis for the dwindling political fortune recorded by the party in time past.

Adewale who made this disclosure at a supposed reconciliatory parley, held at the PDP secretariat in Lagos, unequivocally stated that, “we have fought since and have not moved forward and time is going, we are not ready to fight anybody again, tell the Makarfi group, there is no need for them to run away, they should come back, let us sit down together and deliver victory to PDP.
“From our own end we are here to work with Salvador, I plead to all of you gathered here please we will need to reconvene this meeting, we can’t have a meeting properly without the Makarfi group, we have to carry them along and do it together.

“There is no Sheriff or Makarfi group, we are one in Lagos, we shall do the election together, let’s stop the internal wrangling, I already spoke with Salvador about this but I am surprised that between yesterday to this morning the meeting arrangement changed. They said they are not yet ready to meet with us, what happened?
“Please we only have this opportunity to showcase our party choice, for the councillorship and chairmanship position in the Local Government. The suffering is too much in Lagos.
“All you supporters of Makarfi in Lagos, please we are begging you let’s come together to deliver Lagos from the captors and slave drivers, if Salvador so wish for the purpose of the election, I am ready to shift the ground for him to be the chairman while I take the vice chairman position, I am ready to allow him, for three months I don’t mind.”Aeroland asserts.
Adewale noted that liberating Lagosians from the shackles of the marauders fleecing the state is paramount to him.

He added that he would gladly relinquish that for Bode George, “we can’t fight him, but please let them come so that we can work together, for we are the winning side, all those who won at the last polls were with Sheriff, aside Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu, who is with the Makarfi group, all those that have defected, we shall have to replace them and continue with our winning streak.
“Never, never, never again, would PDP fight PDP, now, let’s move forward, also regarding this secretariat we shall not forcefully take possession, we however need to prayerfully break the jinx bedeviling victory here as we have not for once produced a Governor from here unlike elsewhere in Nigeria”. Adewale said.

Towards the tail end of the meeting, Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu, joined and gave his commitment to work with the group as well as influence the Makarfi group to see reasons why reconciliatory move is germane for the political wellbeing and fortune of the PDP in Lagos.
“The PDP took me this far having afforded me a platform, all enemies against the positive future of PDP will be roasted by holy ghost fire, for the PDP in the South West was assisted by him, yes because if you don’t know where you are going, you should know where you are coming from, regardless of the faction, distraction, extraction and defection.

“ As far as I am concerned this great man standing here was a measure to my talk and do, we are aware that devil tries to disrupt good things but we are no able to see clearly and identify the devils and that main course is what made me remain a PDP member.
“:I am aware there are bad eggs amongst us, keep doing that but be sure God will remove you soon, this is a great man, and I chose to stand by great men, I am standing and saying confidently that we are one.
“ We would all come back and where we need to make amend we would do just that, if we have offended you, even as an Honourable member of the Lagos Assembly, I can still say sorry, for this man we are ready to team up and take over for the purpose of the local government election. Dipo affirms.

Furthermore, Salvador declared: “my own is to put the two houses together and look for who is capable enough to pilot the affairs of the party that I can hand over to”.
From the foregoing, it is evident that the feuding parties are set for peace and harmony that will enhance the chance of PDP to bounce back as a cohesive force in the state.
During the last governorship election in Ondo state,one of the governorship candidates of the PDP,Barr. Jimoh Ibraimoh was quoted as saying he knew he would not win the election, but all he was after was to ensure Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, did not win as well.

However, it appears the Lagos PDP has learned enough lessons, how the party has allowed their personal ambition to jeopardize its chances at the polls, since 2015, hence,all the warring factions now ready to shield their swords to collective win victory for the party at the coming LG government election in Lagos.
To erase any subsisting doubts Adewale said: “I’m sure the post- election effect will pay us the more, because once we come together now to work together, even after the election we remain together, that is the strategy”.

Political observers commend the reconciliatory move by Adewale as a step in the right direction, saying that statements by both parties clearly show a people who are ready for reconciliation.
Although there are speculations Aeroland is making move for reconciliation because of his governorship ambition in Ekiti, where he went to declare his interest to run recently, and he would want the support of these people in one way or the other, the reality of a party in disarray is enough burden for the factional leaders.
However, it remains to be seen how far the reconciliation would go, as the true picture of their efforts will unveil in a matter of time.

Leave a Reply