NWC recognises Obasanjo’s Ogun PDP faction

[MrVan]

By DAUD OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA—There seems to be an end in sight in the crisis rocking the Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, as the National Working Committee, NWC, finally recognised the state congress recently conducted by the faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the party.

The position of NWC was conveyed to the newly-elected state executive members led by a First Republic Senator, Chief  Oladipo Odunjinrin, through a letter by the National Secretary of the party, Prince  Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Oyinlola, in the  letter dated August 14, intimated the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar and Director-General of State Security Service, SSS, on the NWC position that the August 4 state congress that produced Odujinrin and 28 others was authentic,  known and acceptable to the party.

The party, however, constituted a five-member reconciliation committee led by South-West  Zonal Woman Leader, Chief Nike Oluwole, with the mandate to persuade the aggrieved members of the party and to woo others who have decamped to other parties.

It would be recalled that one of the factions in the party loyal to Obasanjo was accused of conducting one-sided  congress on August 4, which according to the congress committee  report lacked transparency.

The committee, led by Malam Ibrahim Bamali, in its recommendation, had called for cancellation of the congress held at the local governments and state conducted by   Obasanjo's faction.

Clearing the air on the matter, the National Secretary in the  letter said: "this correspondence serves to notify you that a new state executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has been inaugurated. The new executive has Senator Dipo Odunjinrin".

The reconciliation committee, comprises of the ex- chairman of the party in the state, elder Joju Fadairo, minority leader in the state Assembly, Job Akintan as Secretary,  former Chief of staff to Obasanjo Dr. Gbolade Osinowo and woman leader in Obafemi Owode local government, Alhaja Serifat Ajose,

Speaking shortly before the  inauguration, the state Chairman said the gesture will last for six weeks, saying it was aimed at extending olive branch to the aggrieved members of the party, urging them to accept the invitation from the committee.

Odujinrin however said that a disciplinary committee would be constituted in a bid to bring sanity into the party.

In her acceptance speech, the Chairperson of the committee, Chief Nike Oluwole promised to reach out to all the aggrieved members  towards pacifying them.

She pledged on behalf of other members of the committee to engage the warring members in dialogue so as to give them a sense of belonging and to submerge their interests under the overall interest of the party.

Vanguard Nigeria