South-West PDP crisis: No need to fight ourselves — Party Chieftain

Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, on Monday urged the party’s stakeholders to sheathe their swords and give room for peace to strengthen the party in the South-West.

Pearse, a University of Lagos lecturer, who made this appeal in an interview with our reporter said that the real opponent of PDP remained the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“There is no need for us to be fighting ourselves within the PDP when our real opponents are in the APC.

“We should desist from actions, disposition and utterances that are tearing the party apart.

“Let members promote candidates of their choice and tell us why they want us to support such candidates,” Pearse said.

It was reported that PDP has been embroiled in controversies over the leadership of the South-West chapter of the party which precipitated suspension of its zonal congress recently.

It was also reported that Pearse was the former Governorship Candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2019 elections in Lagos State.

According to him, the suspended South-West congress is an exercise in democracy for members to choose the candidates they think are best to run the South-West zone of the PDP.

The chieftain advised party members in the zone to allow the congress to hold and stressed the need for all to go to the convention as a family whenever the zonal congress is rescheduled.

“I would suggest that people who are holding up the congress now should withdraw their suits in court so that we can have a less acrimonious, smooth and peaceful election.

“We should follow the direction of the Reconciliation Teams, the one led by the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the one led by the former Gov. Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun.

“We can agree to disagree, but we do not need to be disagreeable. We are members of the same party and at the end of the day, all of us must work together,” he said.

According to him, the crisis in the Lagos PDP chapter has stagnated the party.

He also urged the Lagos State PDP Chairman, Mr Deji Doherty, to allow peace to reign.

“In Lagos particularly, there is no need for us to fight each other,” he added.

It was reported that the former Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State have been embroiled in controversy over the leadership of the South-West chapter of the main opposition party in Nigeria.

Also, the brouhaha over who should take the position of the National Vice-Chairman of PDP in the South-West was tearing the party apart.

“While Fayose-faction was support of Mr Eddy Olafeso to retain the position, Makinde’s loyalists were in support Mr Taofeek Arapaja.

The Saraki-led and Oyinlola-led PDP reconciliatory committees have visited some state chapters of PDP in the zone to resolve their crisis.