We lost S/West states crookedly •Says OBJ, vows to regain them

Posted by admin Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-79, 99-07), Party Politics, Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), Presidency, South-West Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

THE chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, declared that the party would regain the states it lost in the South-West.

Speaking at the South-West zonal congress of the party held in Osogbo, the former president said though “we have lost some states in crooked ways. We can regain what we have lost and capture more grounds,” stressing the need for party discipline, balancing party unity and quality of leadership at all levels. He maintained that the party should be disciplined so that it can move forward.” If the party is not disciplined, it can lose what it has gained.”

Addressing the delegates before the election, Chief Obasanjo urged members of the party to be mindful of the quality of leaders they elect at all levels.

He explained that leadership should be imbued with the right orientation and value. Chief Obasanjo added that part of the agreement reached was to present consensus candidates, but appealed to those who might not get the positions they aspired for not to feel disappointed, appealing to them that they might even get higher positions in future, just as he urged those being elected to take it as a challenge to raise the party up and high.

“Those who will emerge zonal officers should take it as being a challenge to raise the party up and high. We are watching as soldiers; whatever happens we did our best. If our best is not good enough, we take it as that. We want to build a party that is the leading light of the black race,” Chief Obasanjo stated.

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni was elected the National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the party at the congress.

Though the candidate who was presented as consensus candidate was asked to be voted for by the delegates by the chairman of the convention committee, Honourable Tunde Badmus, the delegates voted overwhelmingly for him.

Speaking after his election, Chief Oni said he would unite the party and work assiduously to move it forward, stressing that the party would be all inclusive, where everybody would contribute to its progress.

He promised that in the next two weeks, the party would witness massive transformation.

Others elected were ex-officio members from Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states. Those that emerged were Alhaja Murat Olorunkemi, Gladis Omowunmi George; Ambassador Tunde Oladunjoye; Alhaji Kola Olofinde; Olumide Adegbile and Chief (Mrs) M. B. Balogun respectively. The nomination of Balogun as a consensus candidate was initially opposed until the post was subjected to voting between her and Mrs Aluko Tosin, which Balogun eventually won.

Other zonal officers elected by consensus were financial secretary, legal adviser, treasurer, women leader, auditor, youth leader, organising secretary, publicity secretary. Mr Deji Doherty who was elected to the position of zonal organising secretary, later turned down the post on the excuse that the position belittled his status.

The position of zonal secretary given to Mr Jide Damarzio was opposed by the delegates who came with him from Lagos State.

-Tribunewp_posts