Parallel congress: Oyo PDP fails to reach consensus

ANOTHER attempt to broker truce between the stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State chapter, on Sunday, failed as another meeting held at the Ondo Street residence of the former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, ended in a stalemate.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the meeting, called at the instance of Senator Ladoja, was to resolve the crisis which began since the party’s state congress on Saturday, November 4.

It will be recalled that the party held parallel congress es at Watershed, Old Ife-road and Baptist Secondary School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the meeting was attended by notable party stalwarts which included Senator Ladoja, Senator Femi Lanlehin, Chief Yemi Aderibigbe, Senator Ayo Adeseun, Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola, Honourable Mulikat Akande Adeola, Mr Kehinde Ayoola and Demola Ojo.

The meeting, sources informed, was aimed at resolving the imbroglio before today’s deadline given by the national headquarters of the party to resolve the issue it still regarded as ‘home affairs.’

It was gathered that the national caretaker committee of the party, after the appeal committee had submitted its report, advised the two groups to go back to Ibadan and harmonise list, which both parties agreed to.

The sources further informed that the national caretaker committee recommended this option since the two factions accepted the former governor as their leader.

But the meeting, which lasted over two hours, failed to resolve the problem, with each camp not ready to shift ground.

According to the source, the major contending issue is how to share the 25 executive slots from the congresses held at Watershed and Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

On this, it was learnt that there were arguments on the reason to harmonise the list or otherwise.

The two groups, it was learnt, agreed to cede the position of the Youth Leader and Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the party to Senator Ladoja but could not agree on sharing of the remaining 25 slots.

The grouse of the two groups during the meeting was traced to the commencement of the ward and local government congresses which they argued had destroyed the unity with which the party started the reconciliation.

When they failed to reach a consensus, Senator Ladoja, it was gathered, informed them of his decision to report back to the national caretaker committee chaired by Senator Ahmed Makarfi on the outcome of the meeting.