There is an embarrassing falsehood being propagated by political charlatans from the South-West and some influential collaborators in the top echelon of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The seed of this misrepresentation was sowed by a group of political clowns and court jesters under the leadership of Senator Buruji Kashamu, a political impostor who claims he is the leader of the party and the Yorubas in the South-West.
On the 21st of April 2016, the cream of the authentic Yoruba leadership in the South-West gathered at the Golden Gates Hotel on Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, under the Chairmanship of Chief Olabode George, a retired Air Commodore, former governor, former Dep. National Chairman of the PDP and a grandson of the revered, legendary and world acclaimed, distinguished Yoruba Icon and Politician, Sir Herbert Macaulay.
At that meeting, the true sons and daughters of Yoruba land, in an unprecedented unity, condemned the erstwhile claim by the Yoruba traitors who went and lied to the PDP chairman, His Excellency Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, that the Yorubas do not want the chairmanship of the PDP.
I want to state categorically here, without any fear of equivocation, that We the Yorubas from the South-West, desire and demand the post of the national chairman at the next convention of the party.
The followings are the past chairmen:
Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, Dr. Haliru Bello, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Prince Uche Secondus and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
From the above, within the last 18 years, there have been 11 chairmen from five geopolitical zones. Only the Yoruba Race from the South-West have been precluded from this exalted office.
In the interest of fairness, equity and justice, it is most compelling that the Yorubas of the South-West zone must be allowed to contest for this post at this coming National convention.
Any attempt to do anything to the contrary, no matter the reason advanced cannot be acceptable.
Failure for a Yoruba man to emerge as the national chairman can only mean two things.
1. That there is a pervasive and concealed hatred for the South-West in the PDP.
2. That the PDP has very little or no regard for Yoruba interest as was envinced by the obvious cheating of the South-West from the position of the Speaker in 2011, which was never rectified nor compensated for the whole of four years.
The sad implication of the above is that, regrettably, many of us from the South-West may have to reconsider our membership of this great party we have helped to nurture and supported, a party we have loved almost more than our very existence, and the party we have served with all our natural endowment, in victory and defeat.
If there exists any conscience, anywhere in this party, let that conscience speak now and stop the new and alien conscienceless power currently holding sway within the party hierarchy.
Dr Doyin Okupe,
Former presidential spokesman
