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A prominent member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola has resigned his membership of the party a day after the party’s leadership met in the house of a leader of the party and former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.
Leaders of the party in the state had visited Ladoja in his home to assuage his feeling over the harmonization of the state executive”.
Those at the meeting include Deputy National Chairman of the party, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi; the Zonal Chairman, Dr. Eddy Olafeso; Lagos State PDP Chairman, Hon. Moshood Adegoke Salvador; Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, Zonal Secretary (South West) and Arewa Nike, Ex-Officio (South West).
Ladoja, according to a statement signed by Anthony Agbetuyi, the Personal Assistant to the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi said Ladoja expressed commitment to the PDP at the meeting.
The former Accord Party leader was quoted as saying: “I want to encourage our party members and all well wishers to remain steadfast and strong in this journey as we approach 2019 general election and deliver our people from the hand of the All Progressives Congress.”
But Agboola, popularly called ‘Alleluyah’ was not happy with the leaders’ visit to Ladoja’s house.
“With this visit, the party has finally handed the fate of Oyo PDP in Ladoja’s hand,” he lamented. “Here is somebody whose leadership style will finally sink the boat of the party. Why do they think we were praying for harmonization? It is basically to give room for true reconciliation of all factions, following the parallel Congress of last year. And before now, we have made it clear that anything short of true reconciliation, we won’t welcome it.
“I am taken aback by such visit which was largely once sided. And it has shown us that the party does not want the PDP to win this state in 2019. The National Working Committee should count some of us out on this latest development which would certainly boomerang in the loss of the coming election.
“For the party to now say that somebody whose anti-party activities are legendary should be the alfa and omega of the party we all toiled to grow to this level, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Here was Ladoja who in 2007, sponsored a candidate in All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) against the PDP gubernatorial candidate which the PDP won. Again in 2011, he left PDP to join Accord and contested but lost.
“If one may ask, where are these two parties; the ANPP and Accord today in this state? The PDP will certainly go into extinction in Ladoja’s hand unless the National Working Committee (NWC) wades in before it is too late to reconcile and harmonise the executive, and until that is done, I am leaving the party for them. I assure my supporters statewide and more importantly Oyo North senatorial district to await further directives.”
Senator Agboola said he was invited to the meeting but he turned it down, saying “I made it clear to them that I won’t attend any meeting in Ladoja’s house. Can’t we meet at the state party Secretariat? Many of PDP chieftains had left the party because of Ladoja’s style of leadership. Thank God, it is less than a year now to the next general election, we will all see the result.”
Other leaders who attended the meeting include the Oyo State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha; Senator Hamzat Ayo Adeseun; Senator Olufemi Lanlehin; Senator Kamorudeen Adedubu; Hon. Muraina Ajibola; Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli; Bayo Lawal; Dr. Saka Balogun; Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran; Hon. Bimbo Adepoju; Mukeso Destiny; and Alhaji Emiola Wasii among other leaders.
Engr. Seyi Makinde, the party’s leading governorship aspirant, was absent at the meeting. His aides explained he was attending a function in the United States of America.