2023: Atiku faces restructuring test in Southwest

Olusesan Laoye

When the announcement that the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic  Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku  Abubaķar,  would be visiting Ibadan, the  Oyo States  capital,  to meet the entire leaders and members  of his party in the  South west, it was envisaged that  the visit may further caused divisions, and that there may not tbe a large turn out  in view of the  crisis in the party. But the massive turn out however,  proved the doubting  Thomases wrong.

It turned out to be one of the largest  gathering  of politicians ever witnessed in recent times,  in the South West, which was  well attended,  by politicians and leaders of the party, who people thought may not turn up.  It was the gathering  of who is who, in PDP in the region and other parts of the country.

Atiku”s visit which could be described as fence mending to a large extent,  gave the South west members and leaders the opportunity to convey a strong message of  what the zone would require of his presidency, if the PDP wins the 2023 election.

All the leaders who  spoke  at the event  never mince words  to let Atiku knew what the people of the zone wanted  to ensure the unity of the country.  The two vital issues  of restructuring the party and that of Nigeria, were clearly spelt out,  as it was  frantically declared that the zone would want nothing less and would  not compromise the issue of  restructuring on both issues.

All those who spoke at the gathering  and who were chosen from the six states in the South West,  emphasized  the unity of the party, how to win the presidency and what to be done to make the dream of the party come through.

The governor-elect  of  Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke  hammered on the need for all the warring  groups in the party to come together, saying that there must be justice, equity  and fair play in the party, which would  encourage all sections of the country to work together for the success of the party.

Adeleke believed that Atiku-Okowa’s ticket would restore peace in both the party and Nigeria. He pleaded that all the warring groups and leaders  should  sheathe  their swords to embrace peace  for a common agenda as Nigerians are now ready and waiting  for PDP.

Both Senator Abiodun Olujimi  from Ekiti State and  a South West leader of the party, who was the  former governor of  Osun State,  Prince Olagunsoye  Oyinlola, spoke in the same vein of unity and justice.
According  to Oyinlola, the unity in the party  would see it through  and “we hope that God will crown all our efforts  with success”

Senator Olujimi said that  Atiku is now the right person for the presidency, as someone who is conversant  with governance  and who could be regarded today. Statements of these  leaders only served as appetizers, waiting for the food for thought that their overall leader in the Region,  would deliver.

Engineer Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State,  who apparently, was  the chief host and the leader  of the PDP in  the region, hammered the nail straight  on the head, as he emphatically told Atiku point blank,  that  the entire South west members  and leaders of the party,  would want nothing than the restructuring of the party to come  first,  if actually  the party wants Nigerians to believe that “we  are serious about  restructuring  agenda of the party for  the country.”

Makinde, who spoke in parables, said that PDP must show that it is serious, about wanting to govern and be different from the, All Progressives Congress, that has  bastardized the nation. The PDP,  he said, must live by examples,  saying,  “whatever we may want to do for Nigerians  should start from home, because charity  begins at home.”

He  buttressed  his argument about  restructuring  and the removal of Professor Iyiocha Ayu as the chairnan of the party with a saying in Yoruba,  which means that when two  brothers went into an enclosure  to discuss  serious issues and  after the discussions, they came out smiling,  it  shows they had not told themselves  the truth. But when they  are  out of the meeting  frowning,  they  must have told themselves the truth, he argued.

“This is our case today in PDP; we must tell ourselves the truth and my message at this gathering is what the entire  South west  of the party wants.”
He said, “others have spoken and there is no doubt there are challenges and issues to discuss but  there  should be diversity  in addressing  them.”

“The party, at this juncture, as we  want   to rule  Nigeria, must  realise that integrity  and honour  is what is needed to  to give  hope to the hopelessness of Nigerians, who are waiting, as we want to take power from the APC”.

“The reception accorded our presidential hopeful, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in Ibadan today, by the entire South west, shows that we are ready for him. To achieve  this,  the party in the zone  is working to be one and APC would be shocked to see what would happen to it  in the  coming elections in the South West. We have reconciled but we still have issues to be resolved”.

“Eight years of APC has left Nigeria divided more than before and PDP must be a party and government of national unity. Right now in PDP the presidential candidate is from the North East, the Chairman from the North Central, also the  Chairman Board of Trustees  of the party is from the  North, even the chairman  of the PDP governors forum is from the  North West.

“What the members and leaders  of the party in the Southwest are asking for is  that the Chairman of the party,  Professor Iyiocha Ayu  should step aside,  so that  there would be  equity, justice and  fair play.”

Immediately  Makinde delivered  his speech, the entire hall vibrated  with  a resounding  ovation,  which was an approval of a message well delivered by the  leader.

Although,  when  Atiku mounted the podium  he  never  mentioned  the issues at stake directly,  he tactically agreed  with Makinde’s  message,  as he said that  truly,  the rules and regulations  of the party must be examined  to go along with how the party would win the next elections,  most importantly take  over the entire South west.

According to Atiku,  “this is achievable and the sign is already on  that we shall do it. For instance in the South west before, it is only PDP in Oyo  state but now, we have taken Osun  and I have no doubt that we shall take Lagos as well”.

He implored  the people to take  full advantage  of the new electoral law,  which does not give room for ballot snatching anymore. “You must come out to vote and stand to protect your votes at the polling  units.”

“The PDP governed Nigeria successfully  but the people cried  for a change and they have now seen the change”.

Atiku’s running mate, and governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi  Okowa, said  that the reception Atiku and his team received in Lagos and the turn out at the Southwest parley,  in Ibadan, showed that members of the party are ready for PDP  and determined  to ensure the party takes over the region and the whole Nigeria in 2023. He assured that the party would before the general elections in 2023 resolved all differences.

Governor of Sokoto  State, Alhaji  Aminu  Tambuwal, who spoke on behalf of the PDP Governors’ forum in Nigeria,  promised that both security and the economic policy  of  Nigeria would be strictly addressed  by  the  PDP federal government.

Reacting about  Makinde’s  presentation at the meeting with Atiku, the chairman of the PDP in Oyo State, Hon.  Dayo Ogungbenro told Business Hallmark that the governor spoke the minds of the people in the  Southwest and the entire  South.
“The North can’t  produce the  presidential candidate  and  still wants to retain the  chairmanship. Even  Professor  Ayu had committed himself with his statement that if peradventure,  the presidential candidate  of the party falls  to the North,  he would quit to give room for a southerner.  That is what is expected  of him to show that he is a  man of honour and integrity”.