Oyo PDP Welcomes Party’s Nat’l Reconciliation Committee to Ibadan

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has initiated an internal reconciliation process in Nigeria to address internal wrangling that has culminated in divisions within the party.
This move came in the wake of growing concerns over the unity of the party ahead of the upcoming elections in different parts of the country.

The PDP National Committee met with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the State Secretariat, Agodi Ibadan, on Friday, formally conveyed its mission in the state.

The Oyo state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, who received the PDP National Reconciliatory
Committee on behalf of Governor Makinde described the task ahead as an arduous one.
The deputy governor also stated that the outcome of the committee’s assignment would determine the future of PDP in Nigeria, either to progress from the current quagmire, remain stagnated, or retrogress.

He charged the committee to take the bull by the horns and ensure that issues affecting the party fundamentally are duly addressed and resolved to put the PDP in a more healthy position for future elections.

Lawal urged all party stakeholders within the
PDP to put aside their differences and work cooperatively with the reconciliation committee to strengthen PDP’s position in the country.

The deputy governor, who acknowledged the challenges faced by the PDP in recent years, particularly since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, stressed the need for unity of purpose and collective effort to overcome the obstacles before the party.

He said: ” It is a privilege again that this reconciliation is starting from Oyo State.
Whatever is done here would show to other states that the Committee means business.

“You have an arduous task at hand and you should not raise this assignment into platitude but take it as important as what anybody can think about because your assignment will determine the future of PDP in Nigeria; whether
we will forge ahead or stay stagnant or go backward. The outcome of this assignment would give us one of those three things.

“PDP used to be a very strong political party which towered above other parties in Nigeria and in its trajectory of particular foundation laid in the First Republic between 1998, 1999 up to 2015, it was a party to beat. But in 2015, we ran into murky waters, politics of shenanigans, and primordial sentiments, which got us into where we are today.”

The National Reconciliatory Committee chaired by former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola has attributed the internal rifts within the PDP to various factors, including disputes over personal political interests, aspirations, and party supremacy among others.
During the meeting, chairman of the committee, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola emphasized the importance of unity of purpose within the PDP and cautioned against the inherent danger in going into any election with a divided house, stating that “a united front is essential for electoral success.”

According to the former two-term Governor of Osun State, the committee aims to find a lasting solution to the challenges faced by the party through dialogue and negotiation and to ensure that all stakeholders have a sense of inclusivity.

Lawal, who lamented the dwindling fortune of the party reiterated that love for the party and its building should override all forms of personal interests and therefore, called on stakeholders and party faithful to be committed to genuine reconciliation for PDP to be better positioned ahead of future elections.