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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reaching out to some of its chieftains who recently dumped the party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP). A source, who disclosed this to New Telegraph, said the national leadership of the opposition party was leaving nothing to chance in ensuring that the defectors returned to its fold before the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Among those already reached out to by the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP included former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana and former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran. This is as our correspondent also learnt that report of the party’s reconciliation committee, headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, is ready for submission.
The source, who also revealed this, said the committee made appreciable progress in the course of its meetings with members who felt dissatisfied with the outcome of the December 2017, national convention of the party. On the move by the PDP leadership to bring back members who recently defected to the SDP to return, the source disclosed that while some members were initially of the view that the defectors should be allowed to go on the ground that they are “mere paper tigers,” the NWC reasoned that the party needed all its members if it is to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a run for its money in the 2019 elections. “If you recall what happened to us in 2015, when we lost five of our governors to the then opposition APC, you will see the justification why the NWC is making effort to make sure that those who left the PDP for the SDP return to the fold.
“We are not underrating anyone as we need the support of all our members, no matter their political weight, as we mobilise to unseat the APC come 2019. This informed why the party’s leadership ignored the advice by some members to let go of the likes of Prof. Gana and Prof. Adeniran since they have made up their minds to leave us,” the source said. Asked what would be the next step by the PDP should the move to woo back the defectors fail, the source said the party was not foreclosing anything for now as it was equally working on an alliance with the SDP.
“We’ve met with some leaders of the SDP and it was agreed that both parties – PDP and SDP – should continue with their respective mobilizations for the 2019 elections. It not unlikely that we may join forces during the polls and that is why we have opted to handle the defection of some of our members to the SDP with utmost care. “You can imagine a situation where we join issues with Gana and Adeniran because they left us, only for us to come back to work with them in the forthcoming elections given the understanding we already have with the SDP, which they defected to.” On the report of the reconciliation committee, another source disclosed that the Dickson panel was able to meet with chieftains of the party and the various interest groups across the country, especially in troubled states like Oyo, Lagos and Ogun.
The opposition party, it would be recalled, had immediately after its December 2017 National Convention, setup a national reconciliation committee to address the fallout of the exercise. Though the source said the committee was able extract the commitment of the likes of former National Deputy Chairman, Chief Olabode George, to the party, there were few others, who insisted that their demands must be met. He particularly mentioned an aspirant for the chairmanship position from the South-West, who lost to Secondus at the national convention. “The reconciliation committee’s meeting with Chief Olabode George and other chieftains of the party in Lagos State was fruitful as he (George) reassured us of his commitment to the party as well as support to the NWC led by Secondus.
But, where we have challenges are Oyo and Ogun states,” the source said. The party in Oyo State is split along former Governor Rashidi Ladoja and Seyi Makinde factions, while in Ogun; it is a tough battle between ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel and Senator Buruji Kashamu’s factions. The source, who is a member of the reconciliation committee, said: “In Oyo, one of the factions, I won’t mention names because we are still trying to mend cracks, said it is ready to abide with whatever recommendations the committee will come up with; including fresh congresses to elect party executives from the ward to the state levels.
“But the other group, which unfortunately is the weaker of the two, insisted on the status quo, which appears, favours it. We, however, tried to let both groups see reason why they must close ranks because we cannot afford to go into the elections a divided house. “Ogun State is where we have the biggest challenge as the two factions are not ready to yield grounds. But, we will continue to talk to both groups even after the committee submits its report to the NWC,” he said.
.new telegraph
