I remain Southwest PDP Chairman, says Olafeso

The Dr Eddy Olafeso-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest geo-political zone said yesterday that it remains the authentic leaders of the party in the zone.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Akure, Olafeso said his group was re-affirmed as PDP leaders in the zone during the party’s last convention in Abuja.

NAN reports that Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, another factional leader of the party, held a news conference on Monday in Lagos, where he claimed that he was the authentic chairman of the party in the zone. Makanjuola premised his claim on a subsisting court judgment.

“It is very unfortunate and tendentious for someone to assume that carrying court papers around is enough to make him the leader of the party. Even if they have court papers to back their claim, the case is already at the Appeal Court. They should wait till pronouncement of the court before jumping around that they are the leaders of the party in the zone. Leadership is freely given by the people and endorsed by the party through all its processes,” Olafeso said.

He said that Makanjuola and his group were part of the challenges the party faced since 2011 till when “we won at the Supreme Court in July 12, 2017.”

Olafeso noted that PDP had gone beyond unnecessary antagonism, saying the party’s focus was to ensure victory at polls come 2019 general election.

The PDP Southwest Chairman, however expressed optimism that all crises rocking the party would be resolved before its Dec. 9 National Convention.

He explained that the PDP under his leadership in the Southwest has been able to reconcile the entire zone, “bringing harmony into a very disturbed zone”.

“Today, I can tell you categorically that Southwest PDP under my watch has been able to stabilize the party in Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos States. We thank the leadership of the party for the opportunity given us to serve and we will continue to do our best to ensure that our party will be positioned in a way that it can begin to win again.”

He therefore warned “those parading themselves as leaders of the party to desist as there would be consequences and disciplinary measure for any anti-party activities”.