The immediate former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South West, Dr Eddy Olafeso, has described as needless the vituperation by the Oyo State governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, over the zonal congress of the party.
Olafeso who stated this while speaking with Nigerian Tribune in Akure, the Ondo State capital, expressed optimism that the party will not take any step against the principle of democracy, rule of law and fairness.
He said the National Working Committee of the party should not be seen as being partial or compromised because they choose to obey the rule of law.
Olafeso said: “The National Working Committee is just to make a final decision on South-west zonal congress because there is a subsisting court order that needed to be vacated before the issue of venue and time can be concluded.
“I am sure within the week the National Working Committee will take a decision on that, for most of us to know where we are going.”
Speaking on the insistence of Makinde that the congress must take place as scheduled, the former South-West chairman said, “the grandstanding is needless. A party is a family and there are processes and you must allow the processes to take place.
“How can you be an interested party in a case and at the same time you’re deciding for the party and violently attacking the National Working Committee on a decision that is yet to be taken.
“As far as we are concerned, he has a chairmanship candidate that he is interested in and at the same time want to host the zonal congress against the court order.
“We must all know that PDP is a party of law and order and there is no way the National Working Committee will be guilty of contempt when all it takes is for us is to clear the issue of venue and nobody ambition is worth anybody’s blood.
“As far as I am concerned, once the court takes a decision on where we are going to hold the congress, we are all set and ready and ours should be leadership by example and we have given the best in the last two years and we know we are going to do better in the future .
“For us, we are waiting for the National Working Committee to take a final decision and we move on from there when the court passes its judgement over the issue of venue and other sundry matters.”
Governor Makinde has sent a warning to the national leadership of the party on the consequences of not holding the South-West zonal congress next Saturday, April 10, 2021, as formerly scheduled.
