THE newly-appointed Administrative Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape, has declared that the party will give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state a tough challenge ahead the 2019 elections
He made the declaration while speaking with the TRIBUNE ONLINE at the inauguration of the administrative secretaries of the party for the 33 local government areas of the state at the state party secretariat, Ibadan, on Thursday.
30 administrative secretaries, from 30 local government areas in the state, were sworn into office, while the swearing in of the remaining three were put on hold, pending the resolution of the crisis among of the party in the affected local councils.
Alarape, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, said PDP remained the only formidable and credible party in the state, even as he admitted that the party is still enmeshed in internal crisis.
He however said the reconciliation process within the state chapter of the party was ongoing, adding a political approach would be adopted in forging unity and harmony between the two factions in the state.
“It is true that we have some little misunderstanding in the PDP. But we resolving the crisis and we are presenting a formidable and credible opposition against the ruling APC is Oyo State ahead the 2019 elections.
“I was appointed as the Oyo PDP Sole Administrator and one of my major tasks is to ensure unity and harmony within the party in the state. The reconciliation process is ongoing and this we are going to achieve, using the same political approach adopted by the party at the national level.
“If you can recollect, former President Goodluck Jonathan intervened in the PDP national crisis by calling the two warring factions, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to a meeting where a political solution was arrived at. The PDP Caucus in the Senate also settled for political solution to the problem.
“We are using that approach adopted at the national to achieve peace in Oyo PDP. That explained why many of our leaders, including Senator Ayoade Adeseun, Senator Teslim Folarin, Chief (Mrs) Bose Adedibu and Baba Bayo Okeyode, among others, were not present at the inauguration of the local government administrative secretaries today (Thursday).
“They are all at the residence of another leader of our party, Chief Saka Balogun, where they are holding a crucial meeting on the peace process. Indeed, I can assure you that Oyo PDP will give APC a run for its money in 2019”, he said.
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