FORMER Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), has waded into the crises rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West, appealing to all feuding parties to sheathe their swords.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held in Ibadan at the Idi-Isin residence of the legal icon on Saturday, leaders and elders of the party in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos States poured out their grievances before Akinjide and some politicians of the party.
Akinjide appealed to all feuding parties to sheathe their swords for peace to reign in the party and the country, stressing: “In Nigerian politics, Yoruba is a zone to reckon with. Why are we taking arms against one another? What exactly is happening to us? If we call ourselves leaders, should we then be found in a demeaning position?
“We all heard what the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said. If you read the newspapers today (Saturday), he made some important comments. In essence, he is in support of the meeting we are doing here. If anybody says don’t come to this meeting, disregard him. Don’t trust those people. One of them is a drug addict, I mean the criminal elements who want to lead us. We won’t allow them”.
He explained why some of the other factions were not present, explaining that invitations would be extended to others in subsequent meetings.
Reading the communique issued at the end of the meeting, Prof. Tunde Adeniran stressed the need for repositioning of the National Working Committee of the party for greater effectiveness and impressive performance to ensure victories for the party in the South-West.
He said further: “The imperative of reviewing the present membership of the NWC with a view to ensuring that all posts are filled in line with our party’s constitution and to ensure due process and due diligence were the gravamen of the meeting”.
The delegates also called for the “appointment and inauguration of a caretaker committee for the South-West PDP to fill the vacuum which presently exists in the zone until a proper zonal congress is held”.
The communique also stressed the need to constitute a strong South-West committee to anchor the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states”.
Also in attendance were Akinjide’s daughter, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide ( Minister of State, FCT), Chief Abiola Ogundokun, one of the leaders of the party in the zone, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Dr. Saka Balogun, former Chief of Staff, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, (former deputy governor of Oyo State), Senator Bode Olajumoke, Chief Bode Olowoporoku, Chief Reuben Famuyibo, governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Tope Familuyi, and many others.
