- As part of its strategy win back members who defected to other parties, the PDP stormed Oyo state to persuade two former governors
- Former Governor Rasheed Ladoja told the PDP members why he angily left the party many years ago
- He told the PDP members that he would consider their request that he returns to the party
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, August 24, stormed the homes of two former governors in Oyo state to woo them to return to the party.
The national chairman of its caretaker committee, Ahmed Makarfi, led other top members to the meeting with the two former governors, Rasheed Ladoja, and Christopher Alao-Akala, who left the PDP long ago.
The two of them have now said they would consider the invitations extended to them by the party.
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The PDP members persuaded Ladoja and other members of his Accord Party to consider returning to the party.
Makarfi also changed his earlier stand that returnees to the PDP will not be given any special place in the party.
Some of those at the meeting included: former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Prof Jerry Gana; former minister Jumoke Akinjide, former Senator Abdul Ningi; Eddy Olafeso; Bunmi Jenyo; Ojo Williams; Nureni Adisa; Segun Ayodele Fanibe; and Tunde Dawood-Akerele.
Speaking at the event, Premium Times reports Makarfi as saying: “Presently, Nigeria is at a crossroads with issues of security, joblessness and instead of going forward we are regressing backward.
“And we believed that a party with a national spread should henceforth be operating and allowing level praying ground which the present leadership of the party stands for.
“We are here to take you back to where you rightly belong. We want you to be with us so we can start together from the Ward, LG to state levels.
“Our national convention is slated for December and we want you to be part of us as one big family.”
On his part, Ladoja said he left the PDP because of injustice. He added: “It is only in the party that serving governors were arbitrarily removed.
“Fayose of Ekiti state was removed, my humble self was removed in Oyo State; Chris Ngige of Anambra state was removed in a party that was supposed to protect us.
“When my colleagues Sen Femi Lanlehin came to me that, Oga, this is the time for you to come in; I said I needed assurances from them.
“Because, parties have a way of easing out those they do not want.
“But by your presence here, I know you are here for a serious business and we would communicate our resolution to you soonest.
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“In 2003, PDP had thirty-one Assembly members out of thirty-two. You can see the difference,” said Ladoja.
“In Lagos state where APC is very strong, we have a House of Representatives’ member representing Mushin federal constituency in the person of Hon Kako Are and in the last Local Government election in Lagos state, we won in three wards.”
NAIJ.com recently reported that the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP said it was making progress in implementing the resolutions of the party’s national convention on August 12.
Ahmed Makarfi, who is the national chairman of the committee, said it at a meeting with PDP stakeholders from Kwara on Tuesday, August 22.
Watch this video of what former President Goodluck Jonathan said as the PDP prepares for 2019: