LG Poll: Lagos PDP Unending Crisis

In this piece, TOPE MUSOWO revisits the seeming intractable PDP crisis, this time, being fueled by alleged plot to fuse the party with Labour Party in Lagos state, for the fast approaching local government polls
When Otunba Segun Adewale, a factional Chairman of Lagos PDP recently extended an olive branch to his contemporary, Mr Moshood Salvador, for reconciliation ahead of July LG poll, one would think the prolonged battle rocking the state chapter of the now opposition party was over.
The supposed reconciliatory move took another twist when Salvador few days later in an interview with Blueprint said Adewale could not be trusted for any reconciliation.
Things got worse with the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction of Lagos PDP announcing at a press conference last week of its decision to go into alliance with the Labour Party ahead of the July 22 Local Government election.
Addressing a press conference last week, Moshood Salvador said the leadership crisis rocking the PDP made it necessary for the Makarfi camp to go into alliance with the Labour Party.
He said: “We are all not unaware of the leadership problem rocking our party, for which we are awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court to end the crisis. This is why the party needs experienced, knowledgeable and an articulate leadership at all levels.
“By extension, the Ali Modu Sheriff group of Lagos PDP also took advantage of the crisis, connived with APC to reduce the chances of PDP’s success in the coming Lagos State council election.
They came with several violent actions to disturb the smooth running of Salvador-led PDP administration in Lagos State. But with Salvador’s leadership quality and experience, he refused to be distracted and foiled their plans.
.” Salvador, however appealed to “all lovers and sympathisers of PDP in Lagos State to cast their vote for the Labour-PDP alliance and vote Labour Party. It is an alliance. We never decamped to any Party. We never declared for another Party and we never dumped our dear PDP. We are the PDP strength in Lagos State.
In this Pre-electoral alliance, we have 342 Councillorship candidates and 52 Chairmanship candidates.”
In addition, he said “as from this very moment, I now declare that all our candidates must start pasting their posters, commence the house-to-house campaigns and educate electorate on the circumstance of our using Labour Party for this Council election only.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, the factional Chairman of the party, Otunba segun Adewale, described the said alignment of the Ahmed Makarfi factions of the party with Labour Party as a clear indication that they are the real black legs in the party hell bent on decimating the PDP.
Adewale noted that all the upheavals in the party are masterminded by the Makarfi group under Hon. Moshood Salvador through the directive of Chief Olabode George.
He said, “It is a clear indication that the Makarfi led group are the moles within PDP hell bent to decimate us, we in the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff camp are never sell out, we stand firm for PDP, now that the Makarfi group divorced PDP for Labour party, it is good radiance to bad rubbish.
“Since they failed to reconcile and are opting out they need to pay the N33m gotten from the sale of PDP nomination forms before any consideration as this move amount to anti-party, Adewale warned that anyone involved in such moves will face the wrath of posterity politically.
“The truth of the matter is that their move to Labour Party is not borne out of failed reconciliatory moves with the party as touted by Salvador but rather they brokered a truce with APC that PDP will not contest the local government election in Lagos.
“It is a clear antics to decimate PDP further as PDP is not Labour, neither is Labour, PDP, but Salvador and the 40 thieves are the ones in Labour, loyal PDP members should be wary of this deceptive people.” Aeroland reiterated.
It would be recalled that the two factions headed by Hon. Mashood Salvador loyal to Makarfi and the other chaired by Otunba Segun Adewale – had sold forms to aspirants but LASIEC recognized Adewale popularly known as Aeroland and accepted his list of candidates for the election.
In a recent development, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has disclosed that it would recognize Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of its state chairman, Segun Adewale.
The LASIEC boss, Justice Ayotunde Philips (rtd.) said, “In line with the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which currently recognizes the Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff’s national chairmanship of the PDP, based on the verdict of the Port Harcourt Court of Appeal, the commission will also recognize the faction loyal to Sheriff, which is the Adewale-led group, pending the decision of the Supreme Court.”
The response from LASIEC has finally clarified any cloud of doubt over which of the Lagos PDP factional groups between Adewale’s, and Moshood Salvador, would contest on the platform of the party.
It is a clear antics to decimate PDP further as PDP is not Labour, neither is Labour, PDP, but Salvador and the 40 thieves are the ones in Labour