Ekiti State governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential
hopeful, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has urged the party in the South-West to
forge a common front and present a single candidate for the national
chairmanship.
He said, “Going to the national convention in disunity will not serve the collective interest of the party in the Southwest zone.”
Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New
Media, Lere Olayinka, quoted Governor Fayose as making this call on Monday, in Lagos when he held a closed-door meeting with PDP national
chairmanship aspirants.
The meeting was attended by former Deputy National Chairman of the
party, Chief Olabode George; Oyo State former Governor, Senator
Rasheed Ladoja, former Minister of Communications, Chief Dapo Sarumi and PDP former National Chairman (South-West), Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo;
Ogun State former Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, was
absent as he sent his apology.
The meeting, which commenced around 9pm immediately after the arrival of Chief George, who was accompanied by Chief Sarumi, among others, lasted for over one hour.
Governor Fayose, said after the meeting that he was desirous of having the PDP in the Southwest go to the convention as united and indivisible entity as it could not afford to go into the exercise as a divided entity.
His words: “It will be difficult for me to be going around
soliciting support for all the chairmanship aspirants. It is when we are able to present one common aspirant that I can stand
behind such aspirant and campaign round the country.
“Going to the convention without cohesion would not speak well of the
Southwest zone and the purpose of today’s meeting is to start a process of achieving a common front.”
He, however, said that those at the meeting agreed that it should be an
ongoing exercise and an all inclusive one where all stakeholders would be invited.
Also, Alhaji Oladipo described Governor Fayose as the rallying point for the party in Southwest being the only PDP governor and the chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum in the country.
“He is a rallying point to make our position in the Southwest PDP
known in the coming convention.
“We endorse the calling of the meeting with all stakeholders in
Attendance before the convention. It is our privilege to have him as our governor and other stakeholders would be joining us before the
convention,” Oladipo said.
On his part, Chief Ladoja, who said that he had now become a full-fledged
PDP member, having obtained his party membership card, disclosed that he would publicly declare his chairmanship ambition by the end of the week.
Chief George, in his remark, expressed support for the meeting, saying: “I also endorse the meeting and it shows that all hope is not lost.”
He said that it should be clear that the Southwest PDP was not a rudderless
ship, stressing that at the end of the day, the intervention by
Governor Fayose would be a welcome development that would gladden the heart of members.
.Source: nigerianewsflight.com
