2027: Lagos PDP chieftain backs Oyinlola-led reconciliation committee

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, has endorsed the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led Reconciliation Committee set up by the party leadership, saying that the move was a welcome development as the party gets set “to regain the presidency in 2027.”

It would be recalled that following the approval by the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) made public the constitution of the 25-man National Reconciliation Committee headed by Prince Oyinlola, with Chief Anicho Okoro as the Administrative Secretary.

The committee, whose members include Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, Alh. Bello Tafidan Gusau, Sen. Ben Obi, Sen. Tunde Ogbeha, Sen. Shuaibu Isa Lau, Sen. Zainab Kure, Alhaja Mutia Olayinka Ladoja, Dr. Abimbola Ogunkelu, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, Otunba Segun Showunmi, Evang. Mike Ikoku, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, and Sen. Ibrahim Dankwambo, among others, will be inaugurated on a date to be communicated in due course, according to a statement made available by the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba.

Pearse, who is the convener of the Reset Lagos PDP and a member of the PDP National Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 poll, gave this position while speaking with our correspondent, saying that the reconciliation committee was likely to succeed because most party members realised that rifts within the main opposition PDP would only embolden the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to continue with its misrule of the country.

According to him, PDP members will cooperate with the Oyinlola-led Reconciliation Committee since they are ready to regain the Presidency in the next general election, coming up in 2027 based on the realisation that a divided house is a defeated house, which he said no one member could afford.

“The Oyinlola-led Reconciliation Committee of the PDP is likely to succeed because most members of the party realise that rift within the party will only embolden the APC to continue with its misrule of Nigeria.

“PDP members will cooperate with the Reconciliation Committee since they are ready to regain the presidency in 2027. And everyone knows that a divided house is a defeated house. We cannot afford to remain divided,” he said.

Pearse, however, charged Prince Oyinlola Oyinlola not to allow himself to be discouraged by some members of the party who he described as egotistical old people, saying that his committee should rather identify and approach leaders with a track record of integrity in every state of the federation to ensure its mission to reconcile disgruntled parties in that state.

According to the party chieftain, these egotistical old people are people who question his leadership, pointing out that “such people are trapped in the past” and “advocates of politics of bitterness.”

“Oyinlola must not allow himself to be discouraged by some egotistical old people who question his leadership. Such people are trapped in the past. They are advocates of politics of bitterness.

“If the committee identifies and approaches leaders with a track record of integrity in every state, it will succeed in its mission to reconcile disgruntled parties in that state,” Pearse stated.

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