Is The Storm Over In South-West PDP?

Is The Storm Over In South-West PDP?

POLITICS DIGEST – Wale Akinselure and Sunday Adepoju, who covered the zonal congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Monday, bring some details of the behind-the-scene happenings that threw up the new South-West PDP executives.

Actually, April 12, 2021 will be a memorable day not only for the South-West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but also for journalists, who covered the congress that held in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State. At the venue of the congress, Women and Children Development Initiative Foundation (WOCDIF), there were party faithful clad in branded Ankara, which we later realized were those of the Taofeek Arapaja camp, in front of hotels in Okefia area. Apart from stern-looking security operatives, there was an armored personnel carrier and security operatives in various formations. Several banners, posters of various candidates were seen around the venue while local drummers were also seen beating for various personalities as they walked into the venue. There also was music band which displayed the banner for former Ekiti state governor, Segun Oni. Outside the venue were people carrying out brisk business to include the sale of PDP branded items like face masks, umbrellas and flags. The security operatives were firm in turning back vehicles.

Though the event was scheduled to start at 10a.m., things only began to pick at 11.15a.m. when voting materials, tags for delegates, journalists, observers were received by Chairman of the Electoral/Congress Committee, Governor Samuel Ortom who was represented by his deputy, Benson Abounu. Upon arrival of the materials and presence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) journalists were subsequently screened into the WOCDIF hall. This heralded the accreditation of 743 delegates into the hall at about 12noon. The delegates from Oyo State, led by Governor Seyi Makinde, took the lead in occupying the hall even before delegates began to occupy their designated positions in the hall.

The huge presence of security officials in and around the event venue was a pointer to the tension that continued to build as the day of the congress approached. Moreover, the arrest of three persons in Osogbo by men of the Osun State Police Command hours before day of the congress pointed to an epic battle ahead. The three persons, suspected to be political thugs, had been nabbed with various charms and in possession of various weapons. Though the battle for the PDP South-West zonal chairmanship seat was between rapaja and Eddy Olafeso, it was seen as a battle between Governor Seyi Makinde on the Arapaja side and former Governor Ayodele Fayose on the Olafeso side.

The battle line had been drawn in the days leading up to the congress with Fayose insisting that Makinde was not his leader. The winner between Arapaja and Olafeso at the South West PDP Congress was therefore going to determine who was truly leader of the PDP in the zone between Makinde and Fayose. And men and resources were massively mobilized towards the congress. From Saturday, buses filled with delegates and supporters from across the six states continued to be driven into Osogbo with hotels around Okefia fully booked. As typical of congresses, the various camps had to financially mobilise delegates to do their bidding. Not unexpected, the Arapaja camp had an edge in terms of available finances to mobilise men and resources with incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde, on its side.

However, real politicking, canvassing of delegates got intense as the congress day approached and continued at the venue down till when delegates cast their ballots. As delegates cast their ballots, leaders of the two camps were still seen making calculations of what they expected to poll from each of the six states.

Among the six states, however, Oyo state with the highest number of 171 delegates, was impenetrable for the Olafeso camp. Those on the Olafeso camp were seen, on a side of the hall, expressing hope that only if they can get about 30 votes from Oyo state, their camp will emerge victorious. Interestingly, the host state, Osun, recorded the highest number of 23 expected delegates that did not show up for accreditation. Out of 134 expected delegates from Osun, 111 delegates showed up for accreditation. This was compared to the other five states where only between six and thirteen of expected delegates did not turn up for accreditation. Tension was palpable and reached fever pitch when ballots were sorted.

For each sound of Eddy, Arapaja, Eddy, Arapaja, various personalities were seen moving to the edge of their seats, some devised hand fans to blow themselves even inside an air-conditioned hall. As the count continued, people took pens and paper, while others used calculator on their phones to do their own estimate of the result. Just before the counting of ballots, there was some frenzy in the hall as sounds of gunshots, suspected to be from thugs, were heard outside the event venue. However, the frenzy and tension was substituted with euphoria when Taofeek Arapaja was announced winner with 343 votes as against 330 votes polled by his challenger, Eddy Olafeso. It was a clean sweep for the Arapaja side with all its candidates for the various positions emerging victorious.

This was a battle for the soul of the party. Shortly before the election, chairman of the Electoral/Congress committee, Benson Abounu had given room for speeches from the two main gladiators in the exercise, Makinde and Fayose. Speaking, Makinde expressed confidence that the exercise would not tear the party, emphasizing that he was hell bent on repositioning the party ahead the 2023. “We don’t want to defeat ourselves; we want to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC). I promise you all that at the end of this election, there will be no victor, not vanquished. As your only governor in this zone, whoever emerges belongs to me. And I will work with the team to reposition our party,” Makinde said.

At the end of Makinde’s speech, Fayose, was not yet in the hall. Not long after, however, he entered the auditorium with shouts of ‘Oshokomole.’ As Fayose walked up the rostrum, many wondered what words he would profess. First, he walked down to embrace Makinde and they both muttered words into each other’s ears. After saluting some leaders of the party in attendance, Fayose said, “This congress must not divide us. If I have offended anybody, I apologise. Seyi Makinde and I are one. The burning issue in PDP is circumstantial. Who is our leader? Seyi Makinde is our leader. Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola is our leader. Segun Oni is our leader and whatever the outcome of the elections may be, I will accept it in a good manner.”

For several observers, the election turnout shows that the PDP leadership in the South West cannot afford to belittle the importance of former governor Fayose for its good fortune in the coming general election. The observers note that Fayose has proven his mettle with his candidate Eddy Olafeso losing by a narrow margin, despite not being able to command as much resources to mobilise as much as a sitting governor, Seyi Makinde.

With the Arapaja camp claiming all the 22 positions, it waits to be seen what form of compromise will be done to accommodate the Olafeso/Fayose camp. The implication of the result is that the party could get further polarized or compromise to unite. Though the congress has been won and lost issues of peace, reconciliation, and progress of the party ahead the 2023 general election are germane. With the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties also seeking to swell its fold and accommodate aggrieved PDP members, will the PDP be quick, sincere, fair in peace and reconciliation of members? It also waits to be seen how the new zonal leadership accommodates members known to be on the Olafeso side.

It is a known fact that there are factions and aggrieved members of the PDP in all six states of the South West and the affirmed leader of the party, Governor Seyi Makinde and the zonal Chairman, Taofeek Arapaja has his work well cut-out. The forthcoming elections will show acceptability of Makinde’s and Arapaja’s leadership of the South West.

Makinde did note that rather than internal wrangling within the PDP, the battle should be against the APC. Makinde said, “This is a family affair. It is an attempt to reposition our party in the South West. It has ramifications for our party nationally so whatever the outcome is, we will take it in spirit of a family contest. We don’t want to defeat ourselves, we want to defeat APC. So at the end of this exercise, I promise there will be no victor, no vanquished. As your only governor in this zone, whoever emerges, belongs to me and I will work with the team to reposition our party in the South West.”

Like Makinde, Arapaja also said his priority is to resolve the division in the party and unite all members of the party ahead the 2023 election. Arapaja said, “My first priority is that all the chapters of the PDP in the South West are sharply divided so we have to bring ourselves together. We have to be one big together. If we don’t work together, we can’t achieve anything. In 2003, we were controlling five states; today, we have only one state. There are so many factions of PDP which we need to bring together. So, we must speak with one voice.”

Is it yet Uhuru?

On the surface value, the battle for the control of the structures of the South-West Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was won and lost on Monday at its zonal congress held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. Before more than 700 delegates and other party buffs that partook in the intra-party poll, the main gladiators behind the intense power play: Governor Seyi Makinde and a former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose enlivened a new spirit of comradeship, to the admiration of their admirers and other party faithful.

Beyond the facade of the conviviality exhibited by all the stakeholders at the venue of the congress, however, are perceived immediate and long term implications of the apparent new dawn in the South-West PDP. Some observers believe the two camps in the contest proved that they are formidable, going by the result of the congress. While Arapaja, the chairmanship candidate of the camp loyal to Governor Makinde polled 343 votes out of a total 674 valid votes, Olafeso, the candidate of the camp led by Fayose that received 330 votes. Apart from Makinde, Arapaja had the full backing of at least three former governors and two former deputy governors, as well as elders and members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP to walk home to victory.

According to the observers, the outcome of the congress clearly shows that the individual camps can boast of possessing the capacity to galvanise a significant support for the party at competitive elections in the country. This, they noted, is subject to the ability of the party to tap in and harmonise the individual strengths of the two groups that contested at the Osogbo congress. To achieve this will require some pragmatic actions and measures aimed at truly building bridges of cooperation, collaboration and integration. Based on the outcome of the congress, the vested interests could be tempted to contemplate maintaining the status quo ante, as the tendencies that existed at the various state chapters might not easily disappear.

It is normal that there are apparent winners and losers in the battle for the soul of the South-West PDP, as the result of the congress clearly indicated the winning team. Former governors like Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Segun Oni, as well as two former deputy national chairmen: Chief Olabode George and Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, BoT member of the PDP, Dr Olu Alabi, deputy Governor Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, among other big wigs of the party formed part of the pillars of the team.

Tribune