*tasks reconciliation committee to speak truth to power
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Governor Seyi Makinde on Friday, warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should not go to Osun State governorship election with a divided house.
The governor handed down the warning in Ibadan while receiving the Special Reconciliation Committee of the South West PDP saddled with the task of resolving the crisis in the Lagos and Osun states chapters of the party.
According to Governor Makinde, the committee should speak truth to power in the course of its assignment and as well be ready to apportion blames where necessary, saying, it is necessary to resolve the crisis in the two chapters to ensure that the party goes into the next elections a united force.
“Let me use this opportunity to welcome you to your home. I believe that you are capable of delivering on the assignment given to you. I will also say that this is a good time to really reach out to our people, especially in those two states”, he said
Governor Makinde added, ” for Osun, I don’t know if it is not really too late, but you have to move very fast to see what you can do. We have an election coming up in eight weeks, and if we don’t get the people together, it will just be a case of a house divided against itself, which won’t be able to stand”
“For Lagos, I personally spent a lot of time with them but, at the end of the day, I believe the outcome of their state congress rather than pull the party together, actually exacerbated the division within the party. They still have quite a bit of time because elections in Lagos won’t hold in another ten months”.
The governor maintained, ” so, I will say that we still have the opportunity to pull all of those people involved together. One thing I will also advise is, don’t be afraid to speak truth to power”
He emphasized that there is the need for the committee to do its utmost so as to reconcile all aspirants in the just concluded State Congress and Governorship Primary respectively in the two states, adding “genuine reconciliation is necessary, while the Committee must explore all avenues that will ensure full reconciliation.’
Governor Makinde declared that the Committee should be bold enough to call a spade a spade, by telling whoever contributed to the division in the two states and that he is ready to give the Committee all the needed support to have a hitch-free assignment.
Chairman of the Special Reconciliation Committee, Barrister Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, in his remarks said that the committee’s mandate was basically to end all rifts and disagreements with the fold of the party in the region, especially in Lagos and Osun states.
Barrister Jegede pledged the sincerity of his members who, he said, are men of integrity and assured the governor that the committee will do a thorough job and make sure true reconciliation of all warring factions is achieved.
“Let me start by thanking you for giving us this privilege to be here as the revered leader of the South West PDP and our party. Our committee is preoccupied with the responsibility of reconciling some contending factors and forces within our party in Lagos and Osun states”, he said
Barrister Jegede ” Our assignment basically will take us to the states but we need to start from here because the zonal office is here and we need to also let you know as the leader and to seek your support. We are hopeful that we will be able to talk to our members”.
