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Over ambition of individual leaders and unwilligness to compromise are some of the factors working against the merger plans between the Oyo State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party, Newspeakonline has learnt.
According to a reliable source, Accord Party leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, is not comfortable with the crisis rocking the PDP both at the national and state level.
The source said that there is a suspicion in the Accord camp that the PDP leaders were simply trying to exploit Accord by using it to make a come-back in Oyo State. He however added that Accord’s approach to the merger talks has been tactical, presenting it as a party that can not be used and dumped by selfish interests.
He said:
“There are too many crises in the PDP both at the national level and within Oyo State. Accord is thinking that it is wise to remain in its small but peaceful party instead of joining a party that looks unsure of its future.
“The summary is that it actually looks as if PDP just wants to use Ladoja to achieve its aim.”
Since the beginning of the year, the Oyo State chapter of the PDP has intensified efforts to bring in Ladoja and his party, having failed to do that before the 2015 elections which the PDP lost considerably.
The renewed talks are poised towards making the PDP a bigger and stronger party, using Ladoja’s popular Accord structure, ahead of the 2019 elections. But it has been learnt that the Accord Party is not willing to make itself a mere tool in the hand of the PDP but an “equal” partner in the merger.
Ladoja, since he left the PDP in 2011, has maintained strong grassroots support and followership, making him the toast of other parties in the state.