The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Hon. Tunde Akogun has said former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja has the right to contest the National Chairmanship of the party, since he is a member of the party.
As he declared that the position of National Chairman of the party is yet to be zoned to South West as being speculated in some quarters.
According to him, “he is a member of our party, every member of the party in Southern Nigeria have right to contest, we hope it will not be like a market thing.
While clearing air on the rumour that the slot is supposed to be occupied by South West, Akogun noted that the position was meant to be occupied by anybody from the Southern part of the country and not specifically for South West.
He dropped this hint shortly after chairing a caretaker committee members’ meeting held in Ibadan last week.
The meeting was called to fine tune ways of ensuring smooth just commenced Ward, Local and State congresses of the party which has commenced on Saturday; October 21.
Local and State congresses will be conducted on Saturdays, October 28 and November 4th.
Akogun while speaking with reporters however assured that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure that the party recorded success in the congresses.
It could be recalled that some leaders of the party in the zone after their meeting held in Ibadan recently resolved that the only thing that can make the party relaunch itself fully ahead of 2019 elections was to uphold the Port Harcourt zoning decision which conceded National Chairmanship of the party to the South West.
But, Akogun while speaking on the request noted that anyone from the South either from South West or South South is free to contest and occupy the position.
According to him, “I know that at the end of the day, they are going to confirm at the party headquarters level whether is really zoned to South West or South South.
“Really, the prayer was that we are going to appeal to the headquarters to specifically zone it to South West but is it still in the South.
“We have make all the adequate arrangement to conduct a free and fair, in terms of procedures, totally acceptable, flawless ward executives that will assist us to start a good beginning as in claiming governance both at states and federal levels.
“We have all these in the constitution, how things should be done in totality, from, at congress level and even after, and hopefully we have a team coming from Abuja who will look at it if there are any dispute and resolve them and make whatever will come out as result, not only in Oyo State here even at national level.
Editor, South-West,
Lagos Post Online
Email: raji_adebayong@yahoo.com
M: 08034094059
