“Obasanjo did not instruct us to defect to APC”

A faction within the Ogun State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), believed to be loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has denied allegation that they have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on the instruction of Obasanjo.

The leaders of the party, who came under the aegis of the Ogun PDP Mainstream, on Monday, contended that the former Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman of the party, had not at anytime directed to do so.

Some leaders of the party loyal to Obasanjo, including the sacked National Auditor, Honourable Bode Mustapha, former state chairman of the party, Senator Dipo Odujinrin and former deputy governorship candidate of the party, Mr Tunde Oladunjoye, have defected to APC.

Addressing newsmen on behalf of the leaders of the Obasanjo faction, the former state chairman of the party, Chief Joju Fadairo, maintained that selected leaders of the party met and resolved to remain in the PDP,adding that all the factions of the party would work together to ensure the success of the party in the state in the 2015 elections.

“You'll have heard that they said the mainstream people who are in baba's (Obasanjo) camp had gone to APC. We have not gone to APC. Baba did not say go to APC. Baba is in PDP and we want to disabuse the minds of the people who are saying people who are with Obasanjo mainstream have gone to APC. That is the essence of this meeting.

“All our members are here, those who have defected, I don't know about them. We are adults and this is a democracy and anybody who wants to pitch camp with any party should do so.

“But for clarity purpose, we called this meeting and we are saying, we in mainstream, are still in the PDP. We have said that there is a committee that is set up so that we can talk to all concerned and make our party solid,”Fadairo said.

The meeting had in attendance Chief Okanlawon Soboyede, Chief Wale Egunleti, Chief Jide Awosedo, Chief Tony Ojesina, Chief Yemi Oluyomi, Engineer Tetede, Honourable Job Akintan and Honourable Abiodun Akovoyan.

Fadairo added that the Ogun PDP Mainstream had set up a reconciliation committee which would meet with the other PDP groups in the state and submit its report to the leadership within the next seven days.

He  said, “We, in PDP mainstream, met today and we resolved as follows: That selected leaders from the three senatorial districts of Ogun State met today.

“We resolved that we all remain in the PDP and we'll work together to ensure the success of the party in the state.”

Aggrieved members storm Lagos assembly
IT was protests galore at the premises of the Lagos State House of Assembly as aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ikeja and Somolu stormed the Assembly to register their concerns over the conduct of the party's previous congresses to pick its executives at ward and local government levels.

Aggrieved residents of Abule Egba area of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of the state also took their turn to march on to the House to protest alleged threat of land grabbers, urging the state government to come to their aid in order to avert breakdown of law and order.

The APC members from Ward C in Abulekere area of Ikeja, who came on the platform of Mandate Forum, stormed the Assembly denouncing the pronouncement allegedly made by a party leader, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Nelson, that the APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, allegedly told her that the status quo should remain in the ward as he did not want any breakdown of law and order.

According to the party faithful, who said they had the video of the election, Tinubu could not have said that because he was the one who told the whole world that party members should go to their various wards to do Option A4 to elect their officials.

The group said their chairmanship candidate, Solomon Olamide, won with 297 votes against his opponent who had been there for the past 13 years.

One of the spokespersons of the group, Mrs Yinka Banjoko, who accused Nelson of alleged vote stealing, said: “Nelson told us that our leader, Senator Bola Tinubu said he doesn't want trouble and that they allow the status quo to remain so that the chairman that has been there for 13 years should come back when we know that Tinubu cannot say that. APC is for change.”

Tribune