S/West PDP Congress: We won’t be dragged in the mud by some reactionary elements, they have no Influence – Gov Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that he will not allow himself to be dragged in the mud by some reactionary elements within the Southwest Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP adding that PDP has moved from the era of allowing reactionary elements within its fold to have great authority or influence over the party’s activities.

The Governor said this earlier today while briefing the press on the happenings within the PDP National Working Committee as it relates to the upcoming Southwest zonal Congress of the party.

The Governor revealed that the Southwest caucus of the party held its meeting in Ibadan on Tuesday and reaffirmed the zoning arrangement for the positions of the Southwest zonal executives with each state expected to come up with a unity list to take to the Congress.

Gov Makinde, however said that, on Wednesday, he heard of a disturbing news that the national working committe is planning to postpone the Southwest zonal Congress because some people went to court to complain about the venue of the congress.

Speaking on the court case, Makinde said, “Maybe in the past, it’s possible for elements within PDP to collude with the national working committee to file cases where they are the plaintiff, the defendant and they also try to corrupt the judicial system in Nigeria.

That will never be allowed again because this is a PDP that is getting ready to take the mantle of leadership in this country and we want to provide leadership that is above board for the country and we cannot be seen within PDP to do something that will compromise any aspect of governance in Nigeria.

“I specifically put a notice that the national legal adviser of PDP has not done well.

“How can you file a case and then you instruct legal representation for the plaintiff and also for the defendant? I don’t think that is acceptable.

“And we expect the national working committee of the party to deal with that decisively.”

And finally, we are ready in the Southwest PDP to have a Congress that will produce the zonal executives that are acceptable to the majority of the people of the Southwest Nigeria.”

Commenting on the dispute between him and the Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, the Oyo state governor said, “I do not really have anything to say about people because small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, we want to talk about issues.

So if there are issues, we will address it and when individuals decide to go low, we won’t follow them to that depth. So if there are issues, yes alternative dispute resolution mechanisms exists within the PDP and that is being explored right now. “


When quizzed about the efforts being made to reconcile all aggrieved members of the People’s Democratic Party under the same umbrella, Gov Makinde said that alternative dispute resolution measures are being deployed to make sure that alignment is sought in order to ensure growth and development.

He however debunked rumours of Former Governor Ladoja convening a reconciliatory meeting between him and Fayose. He said, “In terms of any reconciliation meeting there has been nothing like that. I haven’t had any meeting with Baba Ladoja. I think it is just rumours flying about, there is nothing like that.”

He however reiterated that the party will fight reactionary elements within its fold bent on taking the party back to an era that should have been forgotten about.

” Politics is about conflict and conflict resolution but within those conflicting ideas and positions, you seek alignment and try to push in a positive direction, that is what brings growth and development and that is exactly what we will continue to do for our party and for our state and country and if the NWC decided to postpone the zonal Congress for a reason that is acceptable to everybody, we will work with them but if they are toeing the path of “arrange”, I think Nigeria has moved beyond that, that will mean they are taking back to an era that we should have forgotten about in this country.

Even if they do, there are some of us in that party that we are bent on taking the party to take its rightful position to get the party ready for the leadership of the country and we will fight those reactionary elements until they are defeated within the party”, he concluded.