Leaders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West have appointed a five-man committee to reconcile aggrieved and warring factions of the party in the zone to bring about peace and unity.
The committee is headed by former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Other members of the committee are Chief Saka Balogun, Chief (Mrs.) Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru and Mr Olayinka Kukoyi.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicates that the party leaders met at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan and released a communique endorsed by the Acting National Vice Chairman, South-West, Dayo Ogungbenro.
The statement notes that the meeting also resolved that zonal executive positions of the party should be zoned to all states of the South-West, adding that it has become imperative for the party to unite ahead future elections across the zone.
According to the statement, leaders of the party in their contribution harped on the need for unity and cohesion in the party stating that the zone remained strategic to the PDP if it must win election at the national level.
The leaders, including the Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, former governors of Osun and Ekiti states, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Engineer Segun Oni as well as members of the Board of Trustees of the party, and party chairmen from the states, among others.
The PDP leaders also used the occasion to call on the Federal Government and the National Assembly not to go-ahead with the proposed clampdown on social media, saying the move will infringe on Nigerians’ freedom of expression.
They called on the Federal Government to strengthen existing laws to prevent the abuse of the freedom of expression.
In his remarks, Governor Seyi Makinde maintained that the meeting was convened to address the challenges facing the party in the South-West.
Governor Makinde at the meeting called for harmony in the party emphasising that South West PDP must show leadership in its dealings.
“One of the things I feel we will take away from this meeting is also to agree on the zoning for the positions available within the south-west exco. And anything that is zoned to a particular state, the leaders and stakeholders from that state will take it home and make a decision on how to populate that”.
“Once we do that, when we get to zonal congress, we will do what we have to do and go home. This is how things have always been done in the South-West and we will go back to that tradition. The South-West must show leadership for the party nationally and the zone must show leadership for the country.”
Earlier, the acting zonal chairman of the South-West PDP, Mr Dayo Ogungbenro appealed to aggrieved members to bury their hatchets and forge ahead for unity.
Mr Ogunbenro admonished leaders of the party and other stakeholders to allow peace to reign in different state chapters stressing that without peace, we cannot go anywhere.”
Iyabo Adebisi