Skip to main content

Lagos PDP lawmakers beg chieftains to close ranks

Chief Tunji Shelle, PDP Chairman, Lagos State

Chief Tunji Shelle, PDP Chairman, Lagos State

Lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) in the Lagos State House of Assembly have appealed to party leaders to close ranks ahead of the forthcoming state’s council polls.

They said that if the party chieftains failed to work as a team but divided, it would rob the party of electoral fortunes in the forthcoming council polls.

They made this plea on Saturday in Lagos following the State Congress held at the party’s secretariat on Friday in Ikeja by a faction of the party.

According to them, the party must show its readiness for future elections rather than fanning the embers of disunity and personal interest through imposition of candidates.

A lawmaker, Mr Jude Idimogu (PDP-Oshodi/Isolo II) in the House urged the party’s chieftains to close ranks and sheathe their swords to build a formidable party.

“Factions will never help the party, it will create divisions but if all factions come together and have consensus candidates for all positions, it will help the family.

“Imposing candidates will spell doom for the party, PDP should be a family. We need to move the party forward and recapture the lost glory,” Idimogu said.

The lawmaker lamented that some leaders who had failed to deliver, still wanted to continue to lead the party, stressing that such leaders should give room for others.

Also, Mr Victor Akande (PDP- Ojo I) said that the state congress held by a faction of the party on Friday would not be acceptable since members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly were absent.

Akande said, “Such congress that did not have members of both the National and state House of Assembly in attendance is a kangaroo, it is a caricature, a laughing stock and it is dead on arrival.”

He urged members to wait for the decision of the National Working Committee’s (NWC) Special Committee led by the former Governor of Kano, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau established to make a truce among factions.

The lawmaker also urged chieftains of the party to allow a structural reform where new players that could deliver victory for the party to come on board.

Akande called for transparency and internal democracy, expressing optimism that the party would overcome its challenges and emerge stronger.

He advised party stalwarts to play advisory roles and give room for most qualified persons to steer the ship of the party, rather than those that could not win the polling booths in front of their houses.

A faction, suspected to be loyal to a chieftain of the party, held a state congress on Friday where some members were elected by consensus to form the new state executive council.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...