Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election in Ogun state, Ladi Adebutu, and a chieftain of the party, Segun Showunmi, have vowed to resist any attempt to take the party back to comatose.
Adebutu spoke while addressing leaders and members of the party during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the party secretariat, in Abeokuta, ahead of the party congress.
There have been cracks in the party recently with the party’s Chairman, Sikirullahi Ogundele, teaming up with a former governorship aspirant, Jimi Lawal, and the former deputy governorship candidate of the party at the last election, Adekunle Akinlade, to wrest the structure of the party from Adebutu.
Ogundele, at a meeting last week, had accused Adebutu of being responsible for the crisis in the party, saying the reason why the party is not in government is because of Adebutu’s high-handedness and disregard for party leadership.
He also blamed Adebutu for the party’s woeful performance at the 2023 election.
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But, Adebutu while speaking on Wednesday said, the party would avoid any temptation that may cause it to return to the days of “scourge and disunity”.
“For 10 years, our party was in the wilderness, we were bedevilled by hunting litigations to the extent that the party became comatose. At that time, the party could not win any position in Ogun Central and Ogun West senatorial districts, I think we functioned partially in Ogun East.
“By the grace of God we were able to manipulate our way through the mine-field of litigation. In that journey, I must tell you it was not an easy feat, it was from that journey that this current exco emerged.
“We built the party to this stage, the party is for unity, we thank all our elders and leaders because this party is one and this is where the party truly resides.
“Our party shall remain one, we will avoid any temptation that can cause us to return to the days of scourge and disunity. We can’t afford to take the party back to the days of crisis. I beg you as a party that we must be united, the last crisis we had in this party emanated from congresses”, Adebutu said.
On his part, Showunmi urged members of the party to support and vote for those that will work for the success of the party at the forthcoming Congress.
Showunmi said, “In Ogun state, we fought hard to bring PDP back to life and the party is now very active, nobody can take the party back to comatose, we will not allow it, we can’t afford to go back to the era where PDP was riddled with crisis.
“We will keep begging everyone, the party will cease to exist if we have nobody to lead and finance the party. We can’t continue to deceive ourselves, funding of the party is very important.
“We have been talking to them at the national level that they should not allow anyone to destroy the party again in Ogun state.”
The Secretary of the party, Sunday Solarin insisted that there is no division within the party, saying “we are one united family.”
He called on party members to elect credible executive members capable of winning elections for the PDP in the 2027 general elections.
