OYINLOLA SHUT OUT AS SOUTH-WEST ENDORSES OLADIPO PDP NATIONAL SECRETARY

Ahead of a planned mid-term national convention, a  meeting of the South-west leadership caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on Monday night in Abuja has finally resolved the tussle over the slot of PDP National Secretary zoned to the region.

There were indications at the meeting that the former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the suspended national secretary of PDP may have finally lost out, unless the Supreme Court rules in his favour.

But Oyinlola has insisted that he remained the authentic secretary of the party.

He is currently at the Supreme Court challenging his suspension after winning at the Court of Appeal that nullified his suspension by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The meeting called by Chief Olabode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the party, South-west, in the spirit of genuine reconciliation, unanimously agreed to support Professor Wale Oladipo to continue in office as PDP National Secretary.

By implication, Oladipo would be ratified as the current National Secretary of PDP in the proposed national convention of the party since opposition against him from his zone has finally been doused.

It has been a long while since members of the PDP from region held a meeting in which members entered with the mind-set to forge a common endeavour aimed at promoting the political interest of the zone on all fronts.

The convener, George, in his opening remarks, sued for peace and understanding among the PDP leaders and members in the South-west, stressing on the necessity for a bond among members anchored on the need for all to work in unison towards winning all South-west states in the 2015 general election.

To demonstrate its seriousness about genuine reconciliation, the leadership caucus resolved unanimously to present only the current PDP National Secretary, Oladipo, for the post during the coming national convention of the party.

The choice of Oladipo had hitherto split the PDP in the South-west amid planed to remove him from office by his co-contestants through a judicial process on allegations that his election was illegal.

Both Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Professor Tunde Adeniran, two strong contenders for the post of PDP national secretary boosted the spirit of reconciliation at the meeting when they withdrew their interest in the slot, thus endorsing Oladapo to continue in office.

Both Babatope and Adeniran said their withdrawal of interest in the race was motivated by the initiative by the PDP south-west leadership caucus, which they said would promote the interest of the zone in the overall politics of the zone, if encouraged.

In his remarks, Babatope who initially spoke against the manner Oladipo was brought in as the PDP national secretary said in agreement with the move for reconciliation among members of the party in the South-west, he would immediately withdraw a case he had on the issue at Court 7, Abuja.

Adeniran also told the meeting that he was initially displeased with the choice of Oladipo as PDP national secretary, advising members of the party from the zone to always embrace due process on any issue of interest considered very germane to all.

The governor-elect of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, in his remarks, hailed the initiative by the meeting on reconciliation, stating that he was fully in support of the decision to endorse Oladipo as PDP national secretary.
Fayose urged the leaders to brace up for the challenges of wining the remaining states in South-west  region starting from Osun State.

He described Osun State as a gateway to the South-west on 2015 matters, while pledging to play a leading role in ensuring the return of the state and other states in the zone to PDP.

Meanwhile, Oyinlola has insisted that he remains the authentic secretary of the PDP.

Oyinlola made the disclosure in a brief interview with State House correspondents, shortly after he visited President Goodluck Jonathan.
Fielding questions from journalists over the controversy trailing his position as PDP secretary, Oyinlola said: "All I am telling you is that Oyinlola in the face of the law, remains the authentic secretary of the PDP anybody in that office for now, is a pretender."

The former governor had gone to the Villa ostensibly to meet with the president in connection with Osun State governorship election billed for August 9.

Being a former governor of the state, findings indicated that PDP is desperate to mend fences with him before the election, and exploit his political structure to reclaim the state from the ruling APC.

Oyinlola's meeting with Jonathan it was gathered, was basically on how to resolve the knotty issues concerning his removal from office as PDP secretary, bring him back to the party's fold, all in an effort ensure the party win Osun election as it did in Ekiti State.

Though Oyinlola did not disclose what transpired at the meeting with Jonathan, it was gathered that there was a positive signal at the end of the meeting.

THISDAY