Lagos PDP: An opposition stalemate between young and old
As it has been the case with the party since 1999, the Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) is at it again. The recent moves to sack some leaders of the party has further polarised its members and weakened the opposition party to perform its role in a democracy, reports.
The internal crisis rocking the Lagos chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) is getting worse with the moves by some of its new breeds to sack some members of the state executive and elders of the party.
If they succeed in their mobilisation and litigation against the elders including former National Deputy Chairman, Chief Bode George, former deputy governor of the state, Kofoworola Bucknor, Lagos State chairman of the party, Philip Aivoji, and former governorship candidate of the party, Adedeji Doherty, they will cease to be members of the PDP. And the new breeds will take over the party.
Some party members have described the renewed crisis as another distraction for the PDP to play critical roles of the opposition and keep the state government on its toes. Indeed, since 1999, Lagos PDP has become layback and moving from one internal wrangling to another.
The impact of the opposition party was recently felt in Lagos State by the action of the Action Democratic Congress ( ADC) governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Funsho Doherty, when he exposed various contradictions in the expenses of the state government.
While many are expecting PDP to re- organise and win confidence of the electorates ahead of 2027 election, some members of the party, who vied for elective positions in the last general elections are blaming their dismal performances on what they alleged as anti- party activities of the elders and have approached a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to compel the National Working Committee ( NWC) “to expel them.”
The aggrieved members, who are also loyalists of the governorship candidate of the party at the last general elections, Abdul- Azeez Olajide Adediran, also known as Jandor, are: Deacon Segun Adewale ( aka Aeroland), Adesada Wasiu Akingbade, Omitade Adewale Olumide, Lasisi Akeem Jinadu, Ibrahim Balogun, Saheed Taofeek Abolaji, Lawal David Akinsemoyin, Owolabi Lukman Babatunde, Akintunde Pratt, Tajudeen Aremu and Saheed Aregbe.
They alleged that they have incontrovertible evidence that the elders worked for the Labour Party ( LP) governorship candidate, Olumide Rhodes- Viviour and urged for their expulsion from the party.
While the matter is still in court, Jandor announced himself as the leader of the party. To him and his co- travellers, Chief Olabode George, who is also a member, Board of Trustee ( BOT) of the PDP openly supported RhodesVivour, and he is no longer worthy to be reckoned with as PDP leader in the state.
But the former military administrator of Ondo State has dismissed their action as “empty threat” and blamed their “ignorance” on their inability to understand the philosophy behind the formation of PDP in 1998. However, the development has not only polarised party members but the state executive members. While Aivoji, and other exco members are with the elders, the state public
ity secretary, Hakeem Amode, has pitched his tent with Jandor’s group.
Displeased with the claim by Jandor that he has become the leader of the party, the Forum of PDP Local Government Chairmen in Lagos State took a swipe at him for daring to denigrate party leaders in the state. They said the attitude of the PDP candidate has been unbecoming since the day he joined the party.
The Forum chairman, Adegboyega Adegbesan, blamed Jandor for the party’s abysmal performance in the last general election, noting that Jandor disregarded the party’s traditions and structure by singlehandedly handpicking candidates for the House of Representatives and House of Assembly, thereby creating a crisis within the party.
Adegbesan said the decision led to litigation in various local government areas, a scenario, which they said had never been witnessed before in the party. They listed the affected local governments to include OshodiOsolo, Ikeja, Mushin, Ajeromi- Ifelodun, Apapa and Ikorodu.
Adegbesan also disclosed that Jandor failed to reconcile with other aspirants, who had been on ground before he joined the party. The Hon. Ogidi- led committee, from the national secretariat in Abuja, prevailed on these aspirants to jettison their governorship ambition for Jandor.
The Forum also noted Jandor’s disregard for party’s principles in the selection of the deputy governorship candidate, as he dumped the deputy governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes- Vivour, who had emerged as the unanimous candidate from the Lagos PDP elders' screening committee.
This, the Forum said, led Rhodes- Vivour to dump PDP for LP. “He blatantly disregarded the party and went on to singlehandedly pick Funke Akindele as his running mate. The Nollywood actress was not a member of our party, and not even a politician. And that was what led to the cold war, which later snowballed into his trouble with elders of the party led by Chief Olabode George.
“This character was imposed on the party. Suddenly, he became a Lord unto himself. He created a crisis within the party, he did not reconcile with other candidates, who contested with him before he came and got the party’s ticket yet he had the effrontery to create a crisis within the party with his interference in the emergence of candidates for the House of Reps and the House of Assembly, which led to several litigations,” the Forum members quipped.”
They also revealed that PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, invited him to Abuja to an enlarged meeting of powerful northern elders, to prevail on Jandor for a collaboration with LP, but he vehemently turned down their pleads, saying his Awori people, whom he claimed have the highest population were behind him.
The Local Government Chairmen Forum also chided Jandor over his allegation of antiparty activities against the party’s foremost leader in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George, querying his audacity over such a pronouncement.
However, Amode insisted that Jandor remains the leader of the party in the state. Speaking with The Guardian, Amode said: “Jandor was right in his declaration since many supposed PDP leaders allegedly renounced the party to join other parties around the 2023 general elections.
“Nobody can deny the fact that, as the governorship candidate of the party in Lagos State in 2023, Jandor is now one of the leaders of the party in the state. His leadership does not affect the duties of the executive members of the party in the state.
“Why should Jandor be asked to apologise to the party for putting the records straight when those who worked against the party have not been asked to apologise and are even being celebrated?
“Someone like Jandor ought to be celebrated rather than condemned for keeping the flag of the party flying despite all the shenanigans that took place before, during, and after the elections.”
According to him, Jandor remains a bona fide and committed member of Lagos PDP, and he has proven to be reliable and efficient despite joining the party just about two years ago.
He urged all party members to unite with the leader to revitalise the Lagos PDP and prepare for improved performance in the 2027 elections, harping on the importance of collective effort to strengthen the party in Lagos. The Lagos PDP spokesperson, however, cautioned against tolerating those he called “dissidents” that are bent on undermining the party’s objectives. “All party members must join hands with Jandor to restore the lost glory of the PDP, especially in Lagos State, and reposition it for better performances in 2027, which is not too far from now. All hands must be on deck if we want the best for the Lagos PDP, and we must deal with dissidents, who do not want the best for our party,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, members of the PDP Lagos 2023 National Assembly Candidates Forum have distanced themselves from the legal action against the elders, warning Jandor to desist from utterances capable of causing disunity in the party.
The members, who stated this in a statement tagged: ‘ For PDP Lagos Vision 2027,’ described as unfortunate moves by Jandor and his supporters to take the elders to court without exploring internal mechanism of resolving crises in the party.
Signatories to the statement are, Senator Adewale Gomez ( Lagos Central), Senator Nicholas Akobada ( East), Bolaji Jeje ( Surulere), Segun Gbayi ( Mainland), Salawu Hakeem Olasunkanmi ( Apapa), Adeyemi Olamide Micheal ( Mushin), Olumuyiwa Richard ( Oshodi Isolo), and Florence Adepegba ( Kosofe).
Others are, Omotosho Kareem Eniola ( Mushin), Seyi Olowu ( Shomolu), Olayinka Saidu ( Ibeju Lekki), Gbenga Oyeniyi Adewale ( Ikeja ), Ijaola Olawale Nurudeen ( Lagos Island), Rita Orji ( Ajegunle) Fashina Adesoji ( Lagos Island) and Balogun Naheem ( Epe). Specifically, Akobada stated that the group is committed to the constitution of the party, which gives room to using internal mechanisms in handling party affairs.
He said: “There have been a series of developments emanating from the lingering fracas among some of our party members, ensuing from the various accusations and counteraccusations over anti- party activities and mismanagement of election funds and tussle for the control of the party in the state.
“We find it most unfortunate that some members of our party instituted a lawsuit against the party's leadership at the national, state level and the Forum of Local Government Chairmen of the Party in Lagos state on allegations of an alleged engagement in anti- parties activities during the conduct of the 2023 general election in Lagos state.
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Why should Jandor be asked to apologise to the party for putting the records straight when those who worked against the party have not been asked to apologise and are even being celebrated? Someone like Jandor ought to be celebrated rather than condemned for keeping the flag of the party flying despite all the shenanigans that took place before, during, and after the elections. ”