George, Ogunlewe reconciliation signals ACN’s end – PDP

[Punch]

The Lagos State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Tunji Shelle, on Friday, expressed confidence that the recent resolution of the feud between two of the party's leaders – Chief Olabode George and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe – would strengthen its chance of wresting power from the Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2015 governorship election.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH in a telephone conversation, Shelle said the "reconciliation of differences between the party leaders would consolidate the party ahead of the next general elections."

He said, "We have done a lot to organise ourselves; they (George and Ogunlewe) are very strategic to our survival and their unity will go a very long way in consolidating our party ahead of 2015."

George was a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, while Ogunlewe served as Minister of Works under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

A statement earlier made available to Saturday PUNCH by the party's publicity secretary, Taofik Gani, had announced that George and Ogunlewe had "on Wednesday night, finally buried their differences."

 The statement said the two "had been engulfed in supremacy battle over the control of the state chapter of the party, a crisis that many believed contributed to the woeful performance of the party during the 2011 elections."

According to the statement, George and Ogunlewe made up at the wake keep of a Lagos member of the PDP, Tunde Savage, where the two political personalities reportedly embraced each other and confirmed that their fight was over.

However, Shelle described the crisis as a misunderstanding of very close friends, saying, "They were very close friends who have socialised and eaten together, but we are sure that their coming together is in the best interest of the party."

Efforts to reach Ogunlewe were unsuccessful as his mobile telephone was switched off when Saturday PUNCH tried to reach him.

The statement, however, quoted him as saying, "We have all closed ranks. At least, you can see me and Bode George hugging ourselves. We are one PDP now and we are working towards the 2015 elections and that is the new drive of the Lagos PDP."



The Punch