Fayose, Olawepo-Hashim,Ohuabunwa, canvas reconciliation
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and stakeholders yesterday called for urgent reconciliation to prevent further fragmentation following the Court of Appeal verdicts. They urged both sides to sheathe their swords
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and stakeholders yesterday called for urgent reconciliation to prevent further fragmentation following the Court of Appeal verdicts.
They urged both sides to sheathe their swords and work towards rebuilding the party.
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose described the judgment as a vindication of the rule of law, saying it was proof that “truth has prevailed.”
Fayose, who was expelled at the controversial Ibadan convention before the Federal High Court in Ibadan quashed the action taken at the convention, said the next task before the party was reconciliation between the Wike/Anyanwu faction and the Turaki/Makinde camp.
He lamented that the mismanagement of the protracted crisis had led to the defection of several party stalwarts.
Despite the divisions within the party, Fayose said he and the FCT Minister had remained loyal to the PDP.
“I don’t expect anything less from the court. When you break the rules, you face the consequences. The facts were clear. They tried to impose themselves on the party,” Fayose said.
“They should now come together to rebuild the party. The aim of the struggle is to do the right thing.”
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Fayose also defended his political collaboration with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that alliances are common in politics.
He said: “Wike has not defected. I have not defected. That we are not in government today does not mean we cannot be in government tomorrow.
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“Many people left the party because of the crisis. PDP can still rise again. For now, I cannot hide the fact that Asiwaju is doing well.”
Former PDP presidential aspirant Dr. Sam Ohuabunwa also urged party members to accept the judgment and prioritise reconciliation.
He said the party’s current predicament was a consequence of its failure to adhere to its founding principles.
He said: “It is unfortunate the spectacle we are witnessing today. I warned about this as far back as 2022.
“Any institution that abandons its basic principles sets itself up for failure.
“The moment you disregard your principles, you create the conditions for conflict and instability.”
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Ohuabunwa said the PDP’s decision to abandon its zoning principle during the 2022 presidential contest sowed the seeds of the current crisis.
“A party that was built on the rotational principle abandoned it. Instead of zoning the presidency to the South, the contest was thrown open and it became a contest of money,” he said.
According to him, respect for the rule of law must guide the party’s recovery.
“Democracy thrives on the rule of law. Without it, there will be chaos and confusion.
“Now that the court has spoken, members should rally round the caretaker committee recognised by the judgment,” he said.
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, also called for unity, describing the crisis as a family dispute that should end with the appellate court’s decision.
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“This is a family quarrel that must end with the Court of Appeal judgment. Leaders on both sides have already indicated their willingness to harmonise positions,” he said.
PDP chieftain Chief Sunday Olaifa urged the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, to urgently intervene.
He described the judgment as a “balanced decision” that leaves neither faction with a clear victory.
Olaifa said: “The only body not affected by the judgment is the Board of Trustees. The BoT is now the PDP’s lifeline.
“This body should wake up, bring both camps together and chart a new path for the survival of the party.
“If nothing is done urgently, the PDP may drift further into the political wilderness.”
