PDP now a regional party, its future in doubt ―Group

A group, Congress of Concerned Sons and Daughters of Oduduwa in Yorubaland (CCSDOY), on Wednesday said the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the conclusion of its national convention, must now realise that it has slowly dwindled into a regional party, declaring that its survival was now in doubt.

PDP, it would be recalled, held its national convention in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, last Saturday, with Uche Secondus emerging its national chairman.

The exalted position had earlier been micro-zoned to the South-West of the country.

The group made this declaration at a press conference addressed by its chairman, Barrister Dayo Ogunjebe, just at it demanded that the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike must apologise for what it termed his indecent statement against the Yoruba.

Specifically, CCSDOY, which consisted of PDP faithful, said the party as currently constituted, does not appeal to them anymore and would, therefore, look for a more favorable platform that would protect the interest of their people.

“As for us at the Congress of the sons and daughters of Oduduwa, PDP as presently constituted does not appeal to us anymore. We will look for a more favorable platform that will protect the interest of our people.

“As we see it, the PDP has no future in Yoruba land any more. The party has failed our leaders. It has failed our youths. It has failed our women. It has failed everyone in Yoruba land. Without a redirection, PDP is dead and buried in Yoruba land,” he declared.

According to Ogunjebe, “Wike, in his most arrogant and selfish swagger openly derided our people as being inconsequential and of no practical political importance in PDP,” describing such remark as “rather scandalous and very benighted.”

“He even insulted our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as a failure. This is an aberration,” the CCSDOY leader added.

Ogunjebe contended that the sons and daughters of Oduduwa had now lost relevance in the PDP, arising from the outcome of the party’s convention,  saying that they were now at the edge of the cliff, having been pushed aside and relegated to the position of inconsequential indifference.

Besides, he said Yoruba leaders were being mocked at and the race’s symbols of truth and sincerity were now being derided, snubbed, treated with contempt, disowned, pointing out that the outrageous remark of the rivers State governor, Wike, was the crowning of all insults upon the Yoruba people.

“The sons and daughters of Oduduwa have now lost relevance in the Peoples Democratic Party. We are now at the edge of the cliff. We have been pushed aside. We have been relegated to the position of inconsequential indifference.

“Our leaders are being mocked at. Our symbols of truth and sincerity are now being derided, snubbed, treated with contempt, disowned.

“The irreverent, scandalous, arrogant and most myopic statement of the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is the crowning of all insults upon our people. Wike, in his most arrogant and selfish swagger openly derided our people as being inconsequential and of no practical political importance in PDP.

“This is rather scandalous and very benighted. He even insulted our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as a failure. This is an aberration,” the group leader lamented.

Ogunjebe said the CCSDOY, which is a group within the PDP were no doubt outraged, angry, disappointed and very sad and sickened about what he described as “very primitive utterance of Governor Wike,” saying: “We demand an immediate and full apology from Mr. Wike for his gutter language against our people.”

He said rather, the Yoruba people had worked assiduously for the growth and development of PDP and also committed both their financial and moral support to the party.

According to him, the Yoruba people have been selfless, making tremendous sacrifices and have been consistently devoted to the growth of our party, but lamented that inspite all these his people had been cheated and maligned as the Chairmanship position that rightly belongs to them had been taken away and sold to the highest bidder.

“The Yoruba people had worked assiduously for the growth and development of PDP. In both financial and moral terms, the Yoruba people have been selfless, making tremendous sacrifices, consistent, devoted to the growth of our party.
But we have been cheated. We have been maligned. The Chairmanship position that rightly belongs to us has been taken away. It has been sold to the highest bidder,” he lamented.

“Let Wike and the Yoruba betrayers at home know that we will never play the role of a second fiddle to anyone. We are proud of our heritage. We are proud of our achievements across this nation. We do respect the feelings and the tradition of other people. Surely, we will never sit idle while anyone attacks the collective interest of the Yoruba race,” Ogunjebe warned.