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Former Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State during the leadership of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party , Dr Ajibola Muraina, has said that the party is still united under the leadership of Senator Rashidi Ladoja.
Muraina, in an interview with newsmen at the weekend said it was erroneous to give the imoression that the Oyo PDP was factionlaised.
He said: “You will recall that the Oyo State PDP Congress was held at Watershed Events Centre, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, on 4thNovember, 2017. It was duly supervised by the Senator Liyel Imoke-led State Congress Committee and monitored by SSS, INEC and the Police. At the said State Congress, election was conducted into all party positions and votes for each position were duly counted and recorded accordingly. A list of Oyo State PDP Executive emerged with Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha as chairman. This list was later approved by the then National Caretaker Committee and ratified by NEC of the PDP. Indeed, members of the said elected State PDP executive fully participated and voted at the National Convention of the PDP that ushered in the current PDP National Executive/NWC. At the National Convention held on 9th December, 2017, the said list of elected Oyo State PDP Executive was also ratified.
“Secondly, I have to correct the erroneous impression about two groups in Oyo State PDP; there are no groups in Oyo State PDP at all. The PDP in Oyo State is a single entity under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. There is, therefore, nothing to share, as the Oyo State PDP congresses had long been properly and constitutionally concluded.”
READ: Battle for soul of Oyo PDP continues as Ladoja, Makinde factions trade tackles
The two-term member of the House of Representatives also debunked claims that the party’s national executive led by Prince Uche Secondus interfere with the state executives list.
“Recently there was a request placed before the current NWC of the PDP asking for the sharing of the Oyo State PDP executive positions into two: Ladoja’s group and Seyi Makinde’s group. Fortunately for the party in Oyo State, the NWC wisely declined to do so. The NWC believed that political administration is a continuum. Since the then NCC, NEC and Convention of the PDP had approved, ratified and confirmed the list of Oyo State PDP executive, the NWC rightly declined to tamper with the said list. I congratulate the NWC for that excellent decision. The current NWC, headed by Prince Uche Secondus, in taking this decision complied with their campaign promise of zero tolerance for impunity, indiscipline and unconstitutionality”
He advised the Secondus-led NWC not to bow to undue pressures from some people who are pressurising them to share the ward, local government, state and national excos, which had been duly ratified by the party’s NEC and National Convention, saying that doing so would amount to impunity.
Muraina called on agrieved party members to come together and work for the progress of the party under Ladoja’s leadership.