PDP in disarray over Lagos LG poll

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is as good as having forfeited victory in the Saturday, July 22, 2017, local government election in Lagos State.

National Daily investigation reveals that the leading opposition political party in the state is yet to recover from the disorganization of the party at the national level over leadership tussle which had a multiplier effect in the party’s participation in this Saturday’s local government election in Lagos.

The judgment of the Supreme Court which declared Ahmed Makarfi the authentic leader of the party was made after nomination of candidates has been concluded.  In less than 48 hours to the council poll, the PDP is still in disarray over the party’s candidates.

There was an alliance with the Labour Party with the Makarfi group to field candidates on the LP platform while the Ali Modu Sherriff group was participating solely on assumed PDP platform before the Supreme Court judgment, which subsequently, disarmed both Sherriff and all his allies in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Ironically, Segun Adewale, (Aeroland) who has been leading the Sherriff group in Lagos, still insists on proceeding with the PDP leadership in the state. However, Adewale has been legally disarmed by the ruling of the Supreme Court which nullified the leadership of Sherriff.

Apparently, Olabode George, in conjunction with Moshood Salvador, PDP State Chairman in Lagos, insist on contesting the Saturdaycouncil election on the Labour Party platform. It is obvious that PDP has no more time to conduct fresh primary election or change candidates list sent to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), thus, the party leadership is compelled to proceed with the Labour Party alliance.

The Supreme Court judgment seemingly nullified the candidature of persons submitted to LASIEC by Adewale, which leaves the PDP with the only option of going ahead with the LP arraignment.

More so,   the Supreme Court’s judgment put an end to factions in PDP.

However, Adewale hypothetically, in defiance of the apex court’s ruling, insists discountenances the decision of the genuine PDP leaders in Lagos to sustain the LP alliance in this Saturday’s council polls in the state; describing them as  moles of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adewale in a statement denounced that no such alliance with LP exists.

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“I am aware some agents of the APC within us like Chief Bode George and Hon Moshood Salvador, went to LASIEC to perfect the grand plan of their pay masters to hoodwink Lagosians. When they failed, they went to the media with lies that our party is in alliance with Labour Party. This is a lie and it cannot stand,” Adewale declared.

He added: “Chief Bode George is neither our National Chairman nor the spokesperson for our Party. Hence, his proclamation of an imaginary alliance with a political party shows his desperation to deprive the PDP of its imminent victory at the poll. His action is anti-party.”

Adewale maintained that, “Every commitment by these frustrated political leaders to satisfying their pay master at Bourdillion will be resisted by the good people of Lagos State.”

Olabode George, former PDP Deputy National Chairman and aspirant for PDP National Chairman, ,  had insisted that the there was no going back on alliance between PDP and Labour Party (LP) in this Saturday’s local government election in Lagos State, appealling to voters in  Lagos  to go all out and vote LP tomorrow.

National Daily gathered that all genuine PDP candidates are participating on the LP platform in tomorrow’s polls.

Bode George had declared: “As part of our strategy of confronting the present challenges, we have decided, here in Lagos, to implement a PDP and Labour Party alliance for this Saturday local government elections.

“It is a necessary recourse which had been authorised and blessed by the National Caretaker Committee.

“My appeal now is to all our loyal members and all the electorate in Lagos State to please go out en masse and vote for our candidates under the Labour Party platform. This is the platform of truth and liberation. This is the platform that is people centred. This is the platform that cares about the weak, poor and everyone else who wants a better and improved governance in our state of excellence.”

George further cautioned those party members who ignited inferno in the crisis that in spite of the leniency of “no victor, no vanquished” by the party leadership, they might still face disciplinary action on further misconduct.

“While we now preach and acknowledge that there is no victor and no vanquished, we are now eternally vigilant against those serial dissidents and reckless characters who insist on betraying the party’s trust. We will not sit down and watch if anyone tramples on the core value of our party again.”

George had declared: “We will no longer tolerate those sleek, dubious and ambivalent characters who pronounce allegiance to PDP in the day time while they hobnob with APC in the shadows of the night. We are not fools. We know who our leaders are. We know the authentic voices of statesmanship and men and women of honourable heritage who never wavered amid the severe challenges of the tumultuous period.

“As we stretch out our hands to embrace the prodigal sons, we insist that the rules and the tenets of the party constitution remain sacrosanct. We insist that there will be no sacred cows. The party remains supreme. The constituents and the ideals of our constitution must never again be eroded without the necessary consequence.”

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Furthermore, Prince Adebiyi Akinsemoye, speaking to National Daily, maintained that PDP will participate in the Saturday council election on the ticket of Labour Party in Lagos.

The Lagos Prince, however, had the expectation that PDP could contest the council poll on the party’s platform after the Supreme Court judgment.

‘Before PDP entered into alliance with Labour Party for the July 22, LG election in Lagos, Now, with the Supreme Court judgment, I think the PDP should contest on its platform, being a bigger structure,” he declared.

There is a big opportunity for the PDP to win seats in some local governments.

Prince Akinsemoye, however, bemoaned the incidence of one party system in the various states across the country.

“In this country, there are not two elections; the government in every state dominates everything, which is not supposed to be, it’s unfortunate that is happens. That is why I was one of those people that supported INEC to conduct local government elections instead of state governments.”

Prince Akinsemoye also alleged that the result of the Saturday council election in Lagos has been determined even before voting begins. He maintained that given the precedence, LASIEC has shown to lack independence in conducting local government elections in the state over the years, adding that this Saturday’s election will be no different.

Prince Akinsemoye also narrated that for the past years in Lagos State, APC has deceived the people. “One person has been controlling Lagos State and he is still controlling it. He has turned himself into thin god,” the Prince said.