We Stumbled, But Did Not Fall In Southwest -Obasanjo

Former President and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Board of Trustees(BoT), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the party in the South West stumbled but did not fall in the last April 2011 elections.

Obasanjo who disclosed this during the PDP South West Zonal meeting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital Sunday said that the turbulent political storm that swept the party from the Southwest states did not destroy the party.

According to Ebora Owu as he is fondly called,‘’We stumbled, but did not fall down. This is a bitter lesson for us to go back to the drawing board and make fast adjustment.’’

He pointed out that absolute indiscipline and gross violation of the party’s constitution was the bane of the party, adding that this is not a time to lament about the past, but to look forward to a better party cohesion.

‘’When a child falls, he looks forward, but if an elder falls, he looks back to see what led to his fall. I want the PDP members to do likewise,’’ he said.

He challenged members to work like a team and try to accommodate genuine run-away members from the party who want to come back, but cautioned that those who deliberately destroyed the party in the past and did not show remorse should be avoided like the plague.

‘’There is nothing new under the sun. In the past, we stumbled and regained our stand. Today, we are going to regain the lost glory especially in the Southwest.

Obasanjo insisted that zoning the National Secretary of the party to the Southwest was not an issue because naturally it belongs to the zone.

He added that ‘’the Speakership of the House of Representatives which the constitution of the party zoned to the Southwest is our legitimate right which must be given back to us.”

According to him, the injustice done to the Southwest over Speakership must be corrected as that is the basic thing.

‘’The Southwest needs the Speaker of the House of Representatives, let the PDP at the National level do the necessary adjustment.’’

He said he remains genuinely committed to serving Nigeria but through his political party, the PDP.

While advising supporters not to allow rumour mongers to destroy the party, Obasanjo charged party supporters to prepare for future elections in other states, adding that, ‘’the day an election result is announced, preparations for another one begins’’.

Speaking on the financial obligations of members to the party, he urged them to give priority attention to party dues which he said would enable the party to get enough funds to execute its financial obligations.

In his key note address, the National Chairman, Southwest, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo while reviewing the activities of the party in the states in the zone, lamented the poor showing of the party across the zone and attributed it to lack of unity, internal democracy and indiscipline among some leaders and members of the party.

Oladipo lamented the crisis that made it impossible for the party to regain its power in some states in the zone where elections were held.

Specifically in Ogun, he described the activities of the former Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel as anti-party, recalling how he formed a new party to challenge the party on which platform he became governor.

‘’It was that bad in Ogun state. When it was impossible for him (Daniel) to impose his will on the party, he resorted to high level anti-party activities’’.

He also chided the former governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose whom he accused of collaborating with opposition to ensure the loss of Ekiti state to other parties, during the re-run and even during the court processes.

‘’Today, some people are calling for his return to the party. While I am not against his return, the truth has to be said that this young man was one of the strong party members who contributed to the party’s destruction in Ekiti.”

The loss of Oyo and Lagos to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the governorship elections also attracted his attention, calling for urgent steps to stop internal wrangling among the party members.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the party commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the quality of ministers he picked from the Southwest.

The party also commiserated with the Federal Government over the bombing of the UN building in Abuja and urged the party’s ministers to be unifying factors in their respective states since the party had no governors in those states.

—Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta