Wike-backed PDP Lagos congress, elects Doherty South-West chairman

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Barrister Nyesom Wike on Thursday churned out new leaders, led by the South-West Zonal Chairman Engineer Adedeji Doherty to take charge of party affairs for the next four years.

Doherty, a former Lagos State PDP Chairman, alongside 16 other zonal executive members, emerged through a consensus arrangement at the PDP South-West Zonal Congress held in Ikeja, Lagos.

The delegates drawn from across the southwest; Ogun, Oyo, Ondo,Lagos and Osun, jointly harmonized and ratified the list of new zonal exco.

Speaking during the congress, Chairman of the seven-member Congress Committee, Hon Olalekan Rotimi, described it as an act in compliance with the electoral act as amended and the delegates agreed stance of consensus, so they were there with other stakeholders present to ratify their decision.

After reeling out the consensus list and conducting voice votes with delegates, Rotimi affirmed their election.

According to him, other zonal executive committee members include: Oluwole Omotaye (Secretary); Clement Adefemi (Organising Secretary); Obe Gbolaro (Treasurer); and Oluwakayode Gbadamosi (Financial Secretary).

Also elected were: Akin Oyeniyi (Publicity Secretary), Oyeniyi Akinloye (Youth Leader), Folake Marcus-Bello (Woman Leader), Wale Ogunmodede (Auditor), and David Adedamola (Legal Adviser).

Others were: Alhaji Adeyoola Adeleke (Ex-Officio, Osun), Bankole Olalekan (Ex-Officio, Oyo), Nurudeen Akande (Ex-Officio, Lagos), Gbenga Fianusi (Ex-Officio, Ondo), Oyetunji Opakunle (Ex-Officio, Ogun), and Omotosin Okeya (Ex-Officio, Ekiti).

Rotimi, who described the exercise as a family affair, said that PDP leaders in the zone had agreed on a consensus arrangement for the good of the party.

“Today, we can all sit together as a family. This PDP is ours to protect.

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“In line with the Electoral Act, the PDP Constitution and Guidelines, the exercise is by consensus as you have agreed.

“This represents everyone’s decision and we will report this to the National Leaders of our great party.

“It is certain that all the positions have been mutually zoned and this is good for our party. These are the leaders that will be in charge of the party in our zone for the next four years.”

In his acceptance speech the new southwest zonal Chairman Engineer Deji Doherty stated that those left in PDP now are not selfish but selfless politicians.

“Those of you that are here today really love PDP. Staying with this party at this critical time shows your genuine love for the party. It is not because of personal gains but for the good of the country.

“Before us is a big responsibility and we accept to serve with all our strength,” he said.

Applauding Wike, the national leader of the faction, for contributing significantly to the party’s progress, Doherty said that his team would tour all the states in the zone to set things in order.

“We are going to mobilise people into the PDP in the South West. PDP has the stamina to take over anything in the country.

“Let us support PDP in this zone, let us stand by ourselves as Yorubas and propagate this party,”* Doherty added.

Speaking on the mobilisation of women for the PDP in the zone, the newly elected Zonal Woman Leader, Marcus-Bello, expressed her resolve and commitment to take the party to all nooks and crannies of the South-West.

“We will bring in more women into the PDP. We will evangelise them. I appeal to women to leave their comfort zone and come out for elective offices,” Marcus-Bello, a former Nigerian Ambassador to The Gambia, said.

The Dr Kabiru Turaki-led PDP NWC had similarly inaugurated new zonal, state, local government area, and ward executive committees of its faction in the state.

The Wike-backed factional NWC is led by Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman, with Senator Samuel Anyanwu serving as National Secretary.

However, there are ongoing conversations around reconciliation between the two factions of the former ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.