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The merger talks between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party in Oyo State gained more ground on Friday after PDP leaders in the state visited Accord National Leader, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja in his Bodija, Ibadan home.
The PDP team was led by a former military governor of Lagos State, Maj. Gen. Raji Rasaki (rtd) and the State Chairman, Mr. Yinka Taiwo. Reports from the meeting said the team enjoined Ladoja and his team to integrate fully with the PDP before the next month’s national convention of the party.
Also on the PDP delegation were a former senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Adeseun; a former Chief of Staff to Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Dr Saka Balogun; Mrs Bose Adedibu and proprietor, Jogor Centre, Mr Femi Babalola, among others.
The PDP’s governorship candidate in the last election, Senator Teslim Folarin as well as Senator Hosea Agboola were not present at the meeting. A source told Newspeakonline that both senators would have attended the meeting if they had not travelled for an urgent engagement.
The PDP leaders are members of the committee set up by the state chapter of the party to work on the integration of Ladoja and his men into the PDP. No concrete agreement has been reached but there are strong indications that both parties are willing to work together ahead of the 2019 elections when they would need to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a good fight after the 2015 defeat.