No alternative to free, fair congresses if PDP must win Lagos ―Segun Adewale

FORMER chairman, Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, Otunba Segun Adewale aka Aeroland, on Monday warned that there cannot be an alternative to a free and fair elective congress at all levels if the party must regain its rightful position in the state, declaring that it was only reasonable that few elders of the party shift from imposing their cronies for offices as such approach had never yielded any positive result since 1999.

The national headquarters of PDP had fixed state congresses for November this year when it is expected that state chairmen of the party and their excos would be constituted.

Adewale made this call in reaction to reports that some leaders of the party might be advocating for consensus candidates at the coming exercise, saying that the only way out of party’s political logjam in the state was for the leadership to conduct a congress that would respect the wishes of grassroots members.

“Consensus candidates have never helped us in Lagos as a political party.

It is only reasonable that the party changes strategy since the approach of a few elders sitting in a room to present their cronies for offices has never yielded any positive result since 1999,” he said.

The PDP chieftain further warned that should the leadership insist on doing things the old way by imposing candidates at the November exercise, “the crisis that has bedevilled the party in Lagos might as well be the beginning of the end.”

While calling on the National Leadership of PDP to quickly wade into the Lagos scheduled congresses before it was too late, Otunba Adewale said that the transparent congresses being demanded by members at the grassroots must be such that venues of all exercises must be made public at least 48hours before the date; names of national officers involved with congress monitoring be made available before time, the exercise must be monitored by INEC and properly secured and a level playing field allowed for all contestants.

Speaking further, the PDP chieftain insisted that grassroots members of the party, who he said were at the receiving end of the impact of opposition, would resist any attempt at imposition this time, declaring that, “Imposition of candidates is the reason PDP has not produced a Senator or Governor in Lagos State.”

“The House of Representatives and State Assembly seats won by the PDP in the 2015 General Election were products of some of us resisting imposition in our constituencies. It is on record that all the seats we won were those constituencies where we succeeded in ensuring party democracy against the wishes of these same PDP failed elders that are again at the forefront of imposition,” he said.

“If candidates are imposed this time, PDP in Lagos may become history. In recent times, the PDP has lost quite a number of members to the opposition parties.

“However, imposition at the congress will definitely lead to what I can only describe as a mass exodus from the party. Grassroots members are tired of being in perpetual opposition in Lagos. I am convinced we as a political party have what it takes to win elections and govern this state. Our bane has been imposition by supposed elders.

“I, therefore, appeal passionately to Senator Ahmed Makarfi to please use his good office and safe the PDP in Lagos from extinction. The National Caretaker Committee Chairman should urgently instruct those saddled with the responsibility of conducting the congresses to ensure a free and fair congress, else the party may disintegrate completely,” he further warned.

“I represent the voice of grassroots members of the PDP in Lagos. We have informed the State Caretaker Committee Chairman that anything short of a transparent congress will be rejected overwhelmingly,” he said.