Gbenga Daniel’s faction finally Dumped Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with reason

[TGD]

Former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Mr. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka who lost to Gen. Tunji Olurin through a court judgment, yesterday blamed the "raw power" being used by some members of the party in the state for his defecting to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) with his teeming supporters.

He also disclosed that the other decampees, despite the unflinching support they have been receiving from the PDP National Secretariat, had no choice but to bow to the pressure of their supporters across the state that urged them not to be frustrated by the court verdict.

Curiously, the supposed leader of the group, Governor Gbenga Daniel did not leave the PDP.

The State Commissioner for Information, Shina Kawonishe, yesterday in a telephone interview said: "I can confirm to you that Otunba Daniel remains in the PDP. He has not left the party and he has no intention to leave. You know he is the co-ordinator of the Goodluck/Sambo campaign organisation in the Southwest, so he remains in the PDP."

When asked how possible for all his political followers to dump the PDP while he remains in the party, he said: "You have to ask them and do your investigation but I am telling you the position of Governor Daniel. He has a great task in the PDP, which he cannot abandon. And you should remember that he developed PDP in Ogun State."

Other prominent members of the PDP in the state belonging to Daniel's group that are still members of   the PDP include the speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and the daughter of the late Chief MKO Abiola,  Mrs. Lola Abiola-Edewor who emerged as the senatorial candidate of the faction.

Isiaka in a telephone interview said:  "We are democrats and we believe in this system but the truth is that we were disappointed with the court judgment and we cannot leave our fate to the judiciary. We live in the state here and we know their game plan,  which of course is not for the PDP to win the governorship election in the state. We are not ready to continue dragging the matter with them even when it is obvious that our chances are bright to win the matter either in the Appeal Court or Supreme Court but there is no basis for the 'Ameachi' option because there is no way those people can win election in the state. We know their electoral value. We know how many votes they have been able to get even in their wards. We also know there is no way superior courts will uphold a parallel congress that was neither conducted by the national party nor supervised by the INEC as enunciated by the Electoral Act.

"But the good thing is that we all developed the PDP in Ogun State. Besides, our new party, PPN, also adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate. Also, all Ogun delegates that voted for President Jonathan at the PDP convention in Abuja are now in PPN except one or two people. So, we shall meet in the field to know who has the people if democracy, indeed, is a game of number".

The former Group Managing Director of the Gateway Holdings said he would address a press conference tomorrow in Abeokuta where he would unfold his agenda.

Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the PPN, Raheem Ajayi said that the collapse of the PDP structure and machinery into the PPN has set the stage for a victory parade for the hitherto unknown PPN.

According to Ajayi, "the coming of Isiaka and other influential members of the PDP into our party will boost the party's chances of winning the governorship election in April. We have always been ready to welcome personalities and candidates that will strengthen PPN in Ogun."

He said PPN "is happy to receive seasoned politicians like Isiaka and over 200,000 members of the PDP in the last one month."

Ajayi added that although PPN has not made any electoral impact, Isiaka is a well-known politician who is accepted and he is from Yewa, an area where the people of the state wanted to have its share of the state governor.

Governor Daniel's Chief Press Secretary, Adegbenro Adebanjo said the present political situation in Ogun might not be favourable to the PDP as Daniel's machinery, which is the grassroots network that won the state for PDP in 2003 and 2007, has moved to another party.

He said that "with the movement of the Daniel's grassroots machinery to PPN, there is no way PDP can retain the state."

Explaining another scenario that might cost the PDP the state, he said that, "the authentic winner of the PDP governorship primary and governorship candidate, Isiaka, was denied his chance to contest and he has moved with that machinery to PPN where he will definitely actualise his mandate. It is obvious that PDP will lose to PPN in April or end up not presenting any candidate for the election, as Daniel sets to appeal the matter."

He added that the PDP would pay for its shortsightedness in ignoring the grassroots network of Daniel's group, despite the fact that Daniel has remained in the PDP.

According to him, apart from "being the South-West co-ordinator of President Goodluck Jonathan campaign, the governor might have decided to stay in the PDP to fight for the mandate. The way things are going, if the governor succeeds in reclaiming the mandate in the court, the PDP might not have any governorship candidate for the election because it is not certain that Isiaka and his team would return to PDP because of the time-frame," he said.

Source: Why we dumped PDP, by Daniel's  faction

[reminder]

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[MyWorld]

Serious problem in Ogun State. PDP on the brink of loosing the state.