The quest by the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reposition itself and remain a formidable opposition to the continued dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is being threatened by in-fighting, Daily Trust Saturday reports.
Despite losing many prominent members and chieftains of the party after the 2019 elections, the Lagos PDP’s moves to reorganize itself and come out stronger have not been fruitful – all thanks to the leadership crisis rocking the party.
The party’s performance at the 2019 election was described as the worst in recent polls in the state as it failed to secure any seat in the 40-member House of Assembly beside the party losing the governorship election to the ruling APC.
The loss was attributed to the lack of unity among key chieftains of the party coupled with distrust and mutual suspicion which ultimately precipitated the crushing defeat in the 2019 elections.
Prior to the 2019 elections, the party earlier lost its chairman, Moshood Salvador to the opposition. The vacuum created by the defection sparked struggles among chieftains to take over its leadership.
Dr Adegbola Dominic, a one-time governorship aspirant of the party, however, emerged as a replacement for Salvador in September 2018 amidst grumbling from some quarters. Those who opposed his emergence like the former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, who is now a chieftain of the APC, claimed the affirmation of Dominic was not constitutional as it is against the laid down procedure in the party’s constitution.
Daily Trust Saturday reports that the discordant tune over who emerged the new Chairman then was a fall-out of the leadership crisis at the national level when former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi were claiming the chairmanship before the Supreme Court finally recognized the latter.
At the state level, members who were divided along Sheriff and Makarfi camps couldn’t bury their differences and leave the past behind to build a formidable opposition in the state.
During the last national convention of the party where Chief Uche Secondus emerged as the National Chairman in December 2017, observers were shocked how some chieftains worked against the candidature of former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, who is unarguably the leader and sole financier of the party in the state.
Worse still, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, a former governorship candidate of the party as well as several other candidates from the South-West, rose against George thus blighting his chance and that of the zone to produce the next National Chairman despite that the position has never come to the South-West.
In Lagos, the 2019 elections exposed the seemingly intractable schism within the party with all stakeholders working at cross-purposes. The governorship candidate of the party was accused of not carrying the party along in his campaigns. This was seen from the inability of the party to hold any statewide rally during the 2019 electioneering and this largely contributed to its defeat at all levels.
After the election, key chieftains left in anger over their disagreement with the party leadership under Chief George while Dominic remains the chairman. Among those who left were Senator Ogunlewe, former House of Representatives candidate, Hon. Mutiu Okunola, the only PDP member in the last Lagos Assembly, Dipo Olounrinu and many others.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, however, set up a three-man committee led by Senator Ben Obi to conduct a special congress in order to accommodate the aggrieved members. The Congress was scheduled for November 13, 2019.
But the Dominic PDP executive quickly approached the State High Court where an order restraining the NWC from conducting a fresh election in the state was obtained. Justice T. A. O. Oyekan-Abdullahi of the Lagos High Court ordered that status quo should remain in the affairs of the PDP in Lagos State.
But the PDP committee which has two other members – Muktar Ahmed and Biodun Olujimi- went ahead to conduct the Special Congress at a hotel in Lagos where Deji Doherty emerged as the PDP chairman, while seven other vacant positions were filled.
Other winners at the election included Akojemu Bidemi Florence for Chairman, Badagry LGA, Kolawole Mike, for Apapa LGA; Amode Akeem for State Organizing Secretary, Showole Olusegun Jubril, Vice Chairman Central Senatoral District, and Assistant State Secretary, Olayinka Dada.
The conduct of the primary which was meant to mend fences, further deepen the crisis as the Dominic-led executive dismissed the special congress as illegal and a gross disobedience of court pronouncement which ordered that status quo be maintained.
In the camp of Chief George, the conduct of the special congress was seen as a move to weaken his hold on the party executive despite committing his resources to keep the party functional and active. When a chieftain of the party and one-time senatorial candidate, Segun Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland took over the party secretariat proclaiming himself as the state chairman, it was Chief George that the police handed over the keys to the secretariat along Shogunle GRA to.
Dominic, who spoke with our correspondent, however, insisted that the special congress was a hang-up against Chief George and a move to get him “out of the way.”
He vowed to challenge the congress in court, saying Bode George remains the leader of the party. Other chieftains of the party, including a former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Bucknor-Akerele, former National Secretary, Dr. Akin Akitoye, among others queried the reason why the NWC would conduct a congress without his involvement.
But a former chairman of the party, Mr. Tunji Shelle, who is a known loyalist of George, partook in the congress and attended the inauguration of Doherty as the new chairman to the consternation of other members.
He, however, defended his decision to participate in the special congress, saying the party needed a leadership change to move on.
Chief George is, however, not pleased with the party which he accused of interceding in the crisis without recourse to the party’s constitution.
He said the conduct of a fresh election into the State Working Committee (SWC) despite a court order was fraudulent, noting that the national secretariat was duly notified about the court judgement which ordered that status quo be maintained.
He said: “Anything that is illegal, illogical and is going to bring shame to the PDP, I will never be part of it. They cannot continue to run the PDP like their private businesses. This is a national party for the people built by the efforts of our founding fathers.
“During the election of a new state chairman to replace Salvador, I abstained from voting. After the election, I said ‘Mr Dominic, the party people have voted for you, I wish you the best of luck, go and learn the ropes and culture of the party. Work with your people.’ Why should I get myself involved? It is who the party members want that I will support.
“I have nothing personal against Doherty. I supported him during the last PDP governorship primary in Lagos. However, the man they sent to Lagos to conduct the primary, Victor Oyofo, manipulated the primary in favour of the eventual winner, yet I didn’t utter one word.
“What they are doing is illogical and illegal, totally out of the constitution. If they cannot follow the rule as stated in the constitution, they are going to kill the party very fast,” George said.
However, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan reacted to the allegations by George, saying it was not true that the party did not follow due process in the conduct of the primary.
He said: “All actions taken by our members in Lagos in filling vacancies left either by resignations, defections and or death of occupants of those offices followed due process.
“It was a collective decision of the majority of our members in the state taken in a determination to reposition our party for the challenges ahead; a development which ought to be commended by well-meaning leaders and members of our party.”
