Leader of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde has said that there are some conditions that must be fulfilled before he would eventually join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Makinde, who was the party gubernatorial candidate in 2015, said that he felt honoured by the visit, adding that: “these are the heavyweights in PDP in the entire country. The last time Akinjide came to this house was few weeks to the 2015 election.
He said further: ”I have being part of the reconciliation process by Prof Jerry Gana. We’ve been consulting, talking. I can say that I joined PDP in 2002. I worked for Sen. Ladoja then and he won. I single-handedly financed the PDP in Oyo South till 2007. I left when things got worse. I ended up contesting for a senatorial seat in ANPP. I later rejoined PDP because that is our natural habitat. I contested the senatorial election in 2011, I was not given the ticket.
“From 2007 to 2015, there is a common trend. I had to leave PDP again because the national executive will not allow a level playing ground. I was tired of going and coming to PDP. What I want is a gurantee of internal democracy. It is good for the party and our democracy.
“Let me now explain the remaining one per cent. I was privy to this especially by the SDP at the national level. We were monitoring things to the Supreme Court level. We didn’t join because we didn’t want to take side. At the ward, local and state levels, there are concerns about whether the structure will be used against them. Our people have been meeting with PDP at the ward level. If you can assure us that we should start afresh, the 99 per cent will become 100.
“This meeting is a massive progress for democracy. When you bear in mind that somebody who won with 33 per cent is the governor and we are now coming back; it is a signal to the ruling party that they should be packing their load out of government house.
On some of the conditions that must be met before joining, he said: “It’s either you have a democratic means of selecting candidates or you have imposition. What we fought against was imposition, impunity. You could hear from the mouth of the national chairman that all of that will be addressed. I think it is proper to join such a train.
“There are still discussions going on. We have been talking before now. Collapsing SDP into PDP is a decision that will be made by the national executive.
Reacting, Makarfi said he has met SDP national leader, Chief Olu Falae, saying that “The best way is for us to democratically come together and bring about changes. We want to play on a level-playing ground. When we begin the journey afresh, everybody will be given equal opportunity
“There is a committee in place headed by Governor Ayo Fayose. Whatever we must do must be mutually agreed upon,” he said.
