Ahead of the January 26 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, the two major groups of the party met in Lagos State and reconciled to move the party forward.
The two groups; Osoko Political Assembly (OPA) led by the former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose and Repositioning Group (RG) led by the current senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Biodun Olujimi.
The groups met in Lagos for the second term to reaffirm their commitment to work together in order to win the next gubernatorial election in the state.
A statement released on Sunday and signed by Fayose and Olujimi said that the two groups are to reaffirm their readiness to work together for the success of the party in the next election.
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The groups said “In a bid to ensure resounding success for PDP in the next gubernatorial election, Repositioning Group and OPA met again in Lagos to reaffirm their readiness to work together for the success of the party in the next election.
“The two groups once again want to reassure the entire PDP members that the ongoing talks and reconciliation will lead us all to the desired victory
“The groups admonish all stakeholders to embrace peace before, during and after the primaries.
“While thanking our national chairman and the entire NWC members for their immense support so far, we want to assure the leaders that we are committed to the understanding we had with the party.”
Apart from Fayose and Olujimi, those who attended the meeting included the two governorship aspirants; Yinka Akerele and Deji Ogunsakin and Senator Duro Faseyi.
Recall that the National body of the party had set machinery in motion to ensure the party remains united after the January 26 primary in the state.
The new party hierarchy acknowledges the fact that the state chapter is divided along two dominant groups, in which each warring groups has refused to sheathe their sword over the years.
The two groups are being led by the former governor, Ayo Fayose and Senator Biodun Olujimi and have remained irreconcilable since 2020 over the outcome of congresses conducted in the state.
The former National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, under the leadership of Uche Secondus accepted the results of the congresses conducted by the Fayose group, a development which triggered the suit filed against the party by the Olujimi group in court. The case on the controversial congresses is currently before the Supreme Court and the Fayose backed executives are piloting the party’s affairs in the ward, local government and at the state level.
Sensing the danger this portends and their quest to win the next governorship election, the new National Working Committee (NWC) under the chairmanship of the former senate president, Dr Iyorchia Ayu met with the governorship aspirants and other stakeholders recently on the need for the party to be united going into the election.
Ayu warned that all aspirants must support any of them that wins the primary, saying doing otherwise will amount to anti-party that he said was the bane of the PDP in the previous elections it lost.
He said, “The mood of the party is that of a united house. The mood of the party is that of a party that will fight together as one united force and hopefully, we should be able to recapture as many states as possible, as many members of the National Assembly, both the two houses as possible or state houses of assembly.
“We’re not going into any election to lose. We are going into every single election with the determination to win and I think that should be the mood of every member of the PDP family. It is not important to us in the leadership of the party whether you like a particular candidate or not.
“Once the party decides on the candidates, it is the responsibility of every member of the PDP family to fight for that candidate because you’re not just fighting for that candidate you are fighting for the PDP. So, you have a responsibility to support him. Anybody that does otherwise we’ll be considered as working against the PDP. So, it will be regarded as anti-party.
“The mood of the PDP today is that anybody who works against the PDP will not just walk away because we don’t want members of our party fighting against members of the party.”
In view of this, the leadership after meeting the aspirants and other stakeholders directed them to discuss among themselves and revert to the national secretariat on the way forward for the PDP in the state.
In the last one week, the two tendencies (Fayose and Olujimi) have met two times, one in Lagos and Ekiti. Today (Sunday, January 9) also met in Lagos and reconciled ahead of the primaries.
