While the nation is witnessing a moment of uncertainty and backlash of retrogressive economy and insecurity, the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Hon Sikirulai Ogundele, beamed a message of hope and possibilities for a better future for Ogun State in 2023.
At a Unification Meeting held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, the party pulled back the curtains of despair and despondence among its members spread across various political parties and brought encouraging answers to heal ‘wounds’ sustained prior to 2015 and 2019 general elections.
This bold step taken by the leadership of the party to unite all party members was described as not only a right step in the right direction but a pointer to the determination attached to the victory objectives come 2023.
Commending the Ogun State leadership for the bold step, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who was the Special Guest, said “Ogun State has set the stage for party movers to come together and commence the process of rebuilding the party from the grassroot”.
Secondus encouraged PDP leaders in the other states to emulate Ogun State by bringing everybody together saying “united we stand divided we fall”. To the Chairman, If PDP is desirous of winning elections at all levels, it was only a united PDP that could win elections at all levels.
The alarming rate of killings and suicide in the nation is a major concern to everybody in Nigeria and around the world. The sad events have consistently occupied the front burner in the national discourse since 2015. Prince Secondus is not left out as he also lent his voice on the national calamity. According to him, the ugly development that is witnessed today in the nation’s history is unprecedented and worrisome. This, to Secondus, is unacceptable and strange in our land.
He called on party faithfuls to brace up for a rescue mission of the country from ineptitude and anti democratic elements in power in 2023.
Secondus equally hinted of possible congresses for the new structure of the party in 2020. He assured of equity and justice for all that wish to contest for any of the executive posts at the ward to state levels.
On his own part, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele, who was a former member of the Ogun State House of Assembly and Chairman of Ifo Local Government, was convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that with sincerity of purpose and will of the uniting forces to work together, PDP would bounce back to power in Ogun state in 2023 adding that the purpose of politics was to attain power for the betterment of the people.
With a good understanding of the strings of unpleasant events that made PDP to lose out in 2019 Ogun gubernatorial contest, the former Chairman of House Committee on Rural Development, Hon (Dr) Oladipupo Adebutu, displayed unusual maturity and an uncommon trait of statesmanship amongst political leaders by tendering an unreserved apology to anybody he had offended.
He charged the faithfuls to be united for several reasons which included the need for a stable Nigeria. And to achieve the desired stability, Adebutu, stated viable democracy must be entrenched.
“We need to get united for several reasons, the first and foremost reason is that to have a country, Nigeria. We must have viable democracy. Without democracy, we cannot have a successful country and in the process of having democracy, as it is today, we are in the opposition party and we must be responsible and be available. We have a duty to this nation, if we don’t have a nation, how many of us are prepared to be refugees today?”
A consistent advocate of good governance since his incursion into politics in 1992, Adebutu reiterated his stand by calling on the PDP members to always champion good governance in their states and at the federal level.
“We have been misgoverned for the last few years. To return Nigeria to sanity and our well being, it is our duty as a people, to maintain the building blocks to the opposition nationally, we owe it a duty to ensure good governance is provided.
The PDP 2019 Presidential canidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in a recorded video broadcast shown on the TV screens strategically stationed in the hall, commended the step taken to unite all party members in Ogun State saying “unification remains the key issue.” He encouraged all to be steadfast in the face of tyranny and hope for a greater tomorrow.
He equally commended Hon Ladi for building the party in Ogun State and Nigeria in general. A position Prince Secondus also shared. Atiku further expressed confidence in the ability of Adebutu to lead the party in Ogun to the promised land.
Representatives of thousands of PDP members in the following parties agreed to work as one indivisible entity – Action Democratic Congress (ADC), African Democratic Congress (ADP), ACCORD Party (AC), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), African Action Congress (AAC), United Democratic Party (UDP) and a sociopolitical group, Omo Ilu Foundation.
The motion for the unification under PDP and to denounce their membership of the above stated parties was moved by Mrs Lola Odedele (ADP, Yewa South) and seconded by Alhaji Ajisegiri (ADC).
No doubt, It was a glorious outing for the party. The enthusiasm displayed by the attendees was enough a parameter to conclude that Ogun State PDP has bounced back and it is set to bring good governance to the grassroot in 2023.
Credit: Adedeji Babington-Ashaye
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