The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the Southwest geo-political zone as particularly strategic to its “inevitable victory” at the 2019 general election.
The party said the southwest remains a major support base and that its chapter in Oyo state is waving stronger, adding that this accounts to why it will never treat matters concerning the zone with levity. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who stated the party’s position when the leaders of the Federation of SouthWest Professionals in Politics paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja recently, said the value of the zone to the PDP cannot be dismissed.
Ologbondiyan said the party holds the leaders and party members in the zone in very high esteem, just like other zones, for their dedication and sacrifices towards the stability and growth of the PDP not only in their zones but also at the national level.
According to him, “the southwest zone is a major support base of the PDP. It is very strategic to our party and we hold our leaders and members in the zone in very high esteem for their untiring efforts in ensuring that the PDP flag continues to fly high in spite of daunting challenges.
“Due to their resilience, our party held forth, so much so, that despite the manipulations and intimidations by the All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2015, the difference in votes won by the APC and our great party in the southwest was very minimal. That shows that PDP commands the genuine followership of voters in the region.
“In Lagos state, the home of the national leader of the APC, the PDP won six House of Representatives seats and nine state assembly seats. We have continued to have the majority support of the voting population in Ekiti state and our structure in the southwest in general remains formidable.
“In Oyo State, our party is waxing stronger while our victory at the last senatorial election in Osun West has shown that we shall retake the state.
“Similarly, in Ogun and Ondo states, our leaders and members are working very hard in repositioning our party and expanding our support base, for which we are confident of victory in any election.
“There is no way the PDP will treat such a zone that is so strategic and known for progressive politics with levity.
“It is therefore imperative to emphasize that the PDP holds the southwest in great respect and we will continue to work with the leaders of the zone and those of other zones to ensure a clear victory in 2019”, he said.
On the on-going reconciliation in the PDP, Ologbondiyan assured that the effort has been yielding dividends, adding that the party has emerged stronger from its challenges.
He further commended the PDP governors, other elected and appointed leaders and all members for their commitment to the party. Earlier, the National Convener of the organization, Dr. Olu Bamidele, commended the PDP leadership for achieving rapid repositioning and rebranding of the party as well as the moves to ensure total reconciliation in its fold, particularly in the southwest. Bamidele praised PDP’s constructive opposition adding that Nigerians are looking up to it to salvage the nation from the misrule of the APC, come 2019.
