Less than two weeks after Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State brokered peace between Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, the two main gladiators in the Southwest People’s Democratic Party (PDP) another crisis is brewing in the party in the zone.
The bone of contention, this time around is the alleged plot by sitting southwest Governor to corner the three National Working Committee positions zoned to the Southwest.
Sources said positions of Deputy National Chairman (South), National Publicity Secretary and Deputy National Secretary may have been zoned to the Southwest while National Women’s Leader and National Financial Secretary were zoned to the South-South. The Southeast will produce National Secretary and National Auditor.
It should be recalled that Governor Makinde and Fayose met in Abuja on September 30, 2021, at the instance of Governor Ortom. The Benue State Governor, who brokered the peace between Governor Makinde and Fayose was said to have impressed it upon the two gladiators to work together in the interest of the PDP in the Southwest.
However, one of the party leaders in Ogun State, who preferred anonymity told our reporter on the phone that Governor Makinde’s body language was suggestive of a take-it-all-plot.
He said the Southwest Zonal Congress in which there was just 13 votes difference between the winner and the loser should be enough to tell genuine lovers of PDP that the two groups have almost equal strength.
Citing the example of the recent appointment of Board of Trustees (BOT) members in which the five people appointed for the Southwest zone were solely from the camp of Governor Makinde, the PDP chieftain noted that handling of the allocation of the NWC positions will show how sincere the governor is regarding carrying every stakeholder along.
He said there was no way anyone can overlook the interest of the likes of Hon Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State, Senate Ademola Adeleke and others in Osun State and Engr Deji Doherty and other notable leaders in Lagos State.
Another chieftain of the party in Osun State said with three positions zoned to the Southwest, the zone will now have four NWC members, inclusive of the Zonal Chairman produced by Governor Makinde’s group.
He said in the interest of equity and fairness, and most importantly that of the party, Governor Makinde’s group should only take one of the three NWC positions while those on the other side should take two.
The party chieftain explained that with that arrangement, Governor Makinde’s side will be having two NWC positions, five BOT members and the entire Southwest Zonal Exco.
Vanguard
