A governorship aspirant and coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ibadan North-East local government area of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde has expressed happiness over the conduct of the ward congress in the area.
Makinde, who was the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2015 election, appreciated party members for coming out in large number, noting that the congresses were peaceful and successful and that those who had predicted that the congresses would be characterised by violence had been shamed.
“The large turnout of members and the peaceful conduct of the ward congresses are signals to the ruling APC that the PDP is back for good and ready to salvage the state from the brink of collapse,” Makinde said.
The ward congresses, monitored by him and other chieftains like Mr Micheal Lana, Alhaji Musa Babajide and Mr Taiwo Salawu, saw Buliaminu Ogboriefon, Seye Omotayo, Kehinde Ojuolape, Femi Okunola, Dauda Ajani and Dauda Kolawole, among others, emerging as ward chairmen in the council areas.
In the same vein, a former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed confidence that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would reclaim Oyo State, which it lost to internal wrangling in 2011, noting that the conduct of party members and leaders in the state during yesterday’s ward congresses across the state indicated the resolve of party members.
Wabara stated this at the Elekuro High School, Ibadan congress venue of Ward 7, Ona-Ara Local Government, where the former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Jumoke Akinjide, belonged, commending the peaceful and orderly conduct of the congress in the ward.
The former Senate President, who was at the venue in company of the chairman of the Oyo State PDP caretaker committee, Rt. Hon. Tunde Akogun and secretary, Dr. Kola Ademujinmi, said he wanted the people of Oyo State to see the PDP as a reenergised party that is strong enough to win the 2019 governorship election and other elections in the state.
While addressing Wabara’s entourage, former Director of Media of the Labour Party (LP) in Oyo State and member of the PDP caretaker committee in Ona-Ara Local Government, Mr Taiwo Ibrahim, maintained that all the four parties, namely; Accord Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP) and the PDP, had agreed to work together and that they had harmonised their positions ahead of the congress.
He later told newsmen that Akinjide played a great role in the peaceful conduct of congresses in the 11 wards of the local government.