South-West congress: Lagos PDP backs Olafeso’s chairmanship ambition

Ahead of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-West zonal congress holding in few days’ time, the Lagos State chapter of the party as rallied support for Dr Eddy Olafeso, the immediate past national vice chairman, South-West, of the party and his executive committee (EXCO) members, for a second term.

This was just as the South-West leaders of the party, who met in Lagos under the leadership of former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose and Ladi Adebutu, spoke of the determination to ensure that, come 2023 Lagos would be governed by PDP, while Osun State would have even before then be added to states won by the party.

The party leaders, who met with the Lagos delegates to the zonal congress, include Dr Olafeso, Bunmi Jenyo, Mr Kazeem Deji-Ogunsakin, the state chairman of PDP, Deji Doherty; Dr Bimbo Ogunkelu, Chief Bisi Kolawole, Soji Adagunodo, Sunday Adekunle, among others.

Doherty, while affirming the decision of 90 per cent of the Lagos State delegates to vote for Olafeso and his team, stressed that the decision was taken based on the track record of the leaders in the zone while they were in office for just two years. 

The PDP chieftain, while noting that PDP had always followed democratic norms, pointed out that only Olafeso and his team sought the support of Lagos delegates for the forthcoming exercise.

According to him, the support would come based on Olafeso team’s contributions in its first two years in office in liberating Lagos from what he called slavery, adding: “They deserved the endorsement.”

“Olafeso and his team helped to unite the party in the region. That is why you can see 90 per cent of the delegates seated here. We had successful primary elections on Saturday for Lagos East senatorial zone and Kosofe Constituency 2 bye-elections, which were rancour-free. These are some of our achievements in seven months,” Doherty said. 

“We are bringing the Eddy Olafeso exco back to come and stabilize the party in South-West. I congratulate your team in advance, we shall meet at the congress ground,” he added.

Doherty, while lamenting that the Lagos chapter of  PDP had been relegated to the background in the area of representation at regional and national levels, placed demands on the aspirants, saying that the state of the party deserved more representations.

He demanded that Lagos PDP must be considered for more seats at the zonal level, a seat at the National Working Committee (NWC) and also given two Board of Trustees (BoT) slots to make a total of five as all the present three slots hailed from just one senatorial district.

“We don’t have more than one substantive position in the zonal level. We are going to give our votes but our representation in the South West zone must increase. We must have a member of the chapter at the National Working Committee (NWC). We requested for more membership at the Board of Trustees which has gone through first approval and final approval will come when Eddy Olafeso becomes the chairman,” he said.

Olafeso, while stating his reason for contesting, said that he was concerned about uniting the party in the region, stressing that he had an unfinished project of strengthening the party and winning more states for the party in the region, just as Oyo State had been brought under PDP control.

Olafeso, while commending the delegates and members of the party for their resilience and support, declared that the governorship of Lagos was now, charging the leaders to ensure that such dream was made possible.

“The governorship of Lagos is now, this must not elude us. You are the leaders of our party, we are to supposed to serve you,” he said.

“We are committed to serving with humility and ensuring that our people get whatever they are seeking from the party, not only at the zonal level but across the country,” he added.

Also speaking, Dr. Ogunkelu, a former minister, who also expressed confidence in the ability of the Olafeso team if voted in the forthcoming congress, argued that the PDP was sure to win the next general election if leaders and party faithful worked hard.

“If we work the way we are supposed to work, PDP would be one to take over the states of the federation, come 2023,” he said.

Adagunodo, in his remark, while also throwing the support of Osun delegate, said he was very sure that Olafeso being on the seat at the zonal level would be of assistance to the party in winning the Osun governorship in 2022 and the general election, come 2023.

“We know that once he (Olafeso) is there, he would be of assistance to the party in the state (Osun) in the 2022 governorship poll and 2023 General Election.

“I am of the belief that come 2023, PDP will produce the governor of Lagos State,” he said.

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