The deputy national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Diran Odeyemi has revealed that the notion that the highest political ranking officer is the leader of the party in a particular set up is wrong.
Odeyemi, who stated this during an interview with Nigerian Tribune, was referring to the crisis in the South West chapter of the party where Governor Seyi Makinde is holding forth is some quarters as the regional leader due to his position as the highest ranking political office holder.
“I think the problem is even about the recognition given to political office holders over and above the party. That notion that the highest political ranking officer is the leader of the party has to be changed. Not everybody who occupies a political office has the needed leadership qualities. Leadership qualities and holding a political position are not the same. In a political setup, a person can win election and still will not be able to bring 10 people together; whereas, some people are good at matching people together to win an election for somebody.
“If we now concentrate all the powers of leadership to somebody on the basis that he holds a political position, then there is an error. And I think the PDP should look into this. This is what is causing crises in the party in the South-West region. Like in Ekiti, Senator BiodunOlujimi is saying that because she is a sitting senator, she is the leader over a two-term governor, MrAyodeleFayose. This shouldn’t be the case at all. If the party does not put that kind of a power or recognition to office holders, he won’t say he is leader in Fayose’s state. Fayose, as a leader, is a mobiliser. He is somebody that can even work out a synergy that will bring everybody together in EkitiState because he is not aspiring for anything, at least. But because they now say the sitting senator is the leader that is why there is crisis in the state wing of the party. And it is the crisis in Ekiti State that is now spreading to other states in the region.
“People should acquaint themselves with the PDP Constitution to know that it is either through consensus or election that this issue of leadership could be handled or not by any other means, “Odeyemi said.
Adding that, “So, to resolve the crisis, everybody has to lower their ego. If Senator BiodunOlujimi should have a canhe of heart as a sitting senator and talks to Fayose as her former boss, we are getting to the solution. If Fayose, as former boss of Olujimi, can forgive and forget, we are getting to the solution. If Seyi Makinde could realise that, as the leader of the party in the South-West, only peace and harmony and, in a way, accepting insults or whatever for the purpose of achieving positive result in the region, the better. It is only through peace and genuine reconciliation among ourselves that we could win the entire states in the South-West, then, we are getting to the solution. So, the solution is with everybody.”
The PDP spokesperson also described a recent meeting called by Govenor Makinde where former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola was appointed the chairman of the reconciliation committee of the party as thanks as null and void.
“We don’t even recognise the meeting that was held in Ibadan where Oyinlola was selected to head any committee. All the resolutions passed at that meeting are null and void. They are not capable of resolving the matter; the conditions that gave birth to that committee will not make them credible to anybody. The circumstances include the fact that the main stakeholders were kept away from the meeting, including SakaAribisala. Virtually all the national officers were kept away; we were not invited. So, the meeting where the committee was formed is questionable. Even though the Board of Trustees (BoT) members were at the meeting, are they the only decision-making stakeholders? Are only the former governors the only decision makers for the zone?
“Definitely no! Don’t forget that there are about four state chairmen that were not there. Are you now saying that the state chairmen and national officers are not important? The meeting was sectional and not complete. It didn’t bring in everybody that matters in the zone. And we don’t expect a leader in the zone to be sectional. Makinde is guilty of that,” he added.
