The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in the South-West met in Lagos, yesterday, to assess the state of the party ahead of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
The party declared its readiness to take over the leadership of South-West states and warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against any form of intimidation in the 2019 elections.
At the meeting were key stakeholders from the six states of the zone including the Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi; former National Secretary, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Erelu Olusola Obada; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Kofo Akerele-Bucknor; former governorship candidate of the party in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; Oyo State governorship aspirant of the party, Seyi Makinde (an engineer), among others.
According to the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Akinwonmi, the PDP is ready to take over from APC in 2019.
Akinwonmi said the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun would be a litmus test for the party.
He said: “The PDP South-West is now back on board. We are able to bring ourselves together. There have been in-fighting and squabbles all along but now we have put that to rest. Now the party is focused; it is a strong indivisible entity now.
“We are going to have a repeat of 2003 in which everybody voted en masse for PDP. This is because of the wind of change that is blowing. People are tired of the ruling party. They have mismanaged the economy. They are not doing well. Things are going upside down. The common man is feeling the brunt. The common man is at receiving end and ordinary Nigerian is now suffering. There is no food on the tables of Nigerians.”
Reading the communiqué at the end of the meeting, National Vice- Chairman (South), Dr. Eddy Olafeso, said the stakeholders placed high premium on peace, reconciliation and unity at every level in the party.
He said: “Due recognition is hereby accorded to the rising profile of our party across the nation and particularly in our zone, thus we restate our desire to ensure that every hand must be on deck as the task to reclaim our lost ground and glory must be prosecuted firmly
