JUBILATION, AS SAMBO RECONCILES LAGOS PDP ASPIRANTS

•Agbaje will deliver Lagos to party – Obanikoro
•Sleep no more, Agbaje tells APC
The quest by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State, to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) received a major boost on Wednesday as Vice-President Namadi Sambo reconciled all the aggrieved aspirants who participated in the governorship primary on December 8.
At the meeting which took place at the Eko Hotel and Suites, and witnessed by scores of party faithful, all the aspirants agreed to bury their differences and team up for the success of the party’s candidate, Jimi Agbaje.
The Presidency’s intervention finally rested the controversy and disagreements that trailed the party’s governorship primary.

There were discrepancies in the number of delegates and the overall number of votes cast at the primary which Jimi Agbaje won. While 806 delegates were accredited before the commencement of voting, 863 votes were counted at the end of the exercise.
It would be recalled that onr of the aspirants, Musiliu Obanikoro had sued the party, asking the court to compel the PDP leadership to cancel the primary.
Addressing the meeting comprising supporters of the aspirants and some chieftains of the party in the state, Sambo informed them that he had been sent by President Goodluck Jonathan to broker peace among the aspirants so that they can form a strong alliance against the ruling party in the state.
He said that Agbaje had signified interest to work with everyone to deliver Lagos.
“President Goodluck Jonathan has sent me specially to thank you people in Lagos for the continuous effort in keeping the PDP as one in Lagos.
“I am delighted to know that we are more than ever before united to form a common front in realising our objective of not only capturing Lagos but winning all seats at all levels in the forthcoming 2015 elections.
“Agbaje is indeed humble and that is what appeals for total support for the party to win in Lagos. Our party has the total advantage of winning Lagos as the state has yearned for too long for a change. We are poised more than ever before to rescue Lagos.
“The time for PDP to take over Lagos has come. PDP is confident that it would win Lagos and other elective positions in 2015. We have maintained our neutrality by encouraging our aspirants to get the members to vote for them,” he stated.
Sambo assured then that Agbaje as the candidate of the PDP would not let the party down.
“What we have done today is worth emulating by other party members in Lagos and beyond,” he said.
Sambo also said that there would be realistic development in Lagos State with a PDP government. He also added that the party would run an all-inclusive government that would accommodate all Lagosians.
“Today, people are leaving Lagos because of heavy taxation. A PDP government will correct it. Jimi Agbaje is coming to save Lagos,” he added.
Also speaking, Chairman of the party, Tunji Shelle, expressed gratitude to President Jonathan and Sambo for their concern before, during and after the governorship primary exercise.
He implored the members to sustain the peace and join hands with Agbaje in delivering the state to PDP.
“This will translate to the PDP winning in Lagos State. It is a show of solidarity, loyalty to the party. The challenges are there and we have to work together as a party.
“This peace should be enduring. Jimi Agbaje is the choice of the people of Lagos. I want to plead with all to give him the maximum support so that the party can win,” he stated.
In his speech, Obanikoro said that despite the inadequacies witnessed in the primary, all the aspirants have agreed to put the interest of the party first ahead of any personal ambition that they might have.
While expressing gratitude to Jonathan and Sambo for their leadership roles in ensuring peace in the party, he assured that the party would reward the president with their votes come February 14.
He noted that it was a very challenging time for the various supporters of the other aspirants but urged them to move past what happened and work as one family.
He said it is extremely important to make the sacrifice, bearing in mind that there is no winner or loser in a family.
“I am proud of Agbaje. Everything comes from God and he is a man I respect. It is now time to go and dislodge APC in Alausa. I want to express my appreciation to my supporters that stood by us. There is time for everything and that is why I want to implore all of you that yesterday belongs to yesterday.
“My passion for Lagos State is known to all of you and that passion will trigger a level of sacrifice that will ensure victory. When you do that talk, you must do the walk because success and failure have a very thin line.
“A lot of us must be prepared to sacrifice and we should also bear in mind that there is no winner and there is no loser in this endeavour we have just ended.
“We must be ready to dislodge the APC in Alausa. It is time to do that and when that is done, PDP will be the winner in Lagos State. It is time for the APC to go,” Obanikoro said.
In his response, Agbaje said that through the intervention of the Presidency, PDP has become one big happy family. He said his mission was to ensure that Lagosians achieve their full potentials and aspirations in life.
“During the meeting that ended, we agreed that we would all sleep better and by us sleeping better, it means that some people will not sleep well,” he stated.
He added that the peace parley initiated by the president has made the party in the state stronger.
“Through the intervention of the President and the Vice president, our party, the PDP in Lagos State is made strong,” he stated.
The other aggrieved governorship aspirants at the event were Tokunboh Kamson, Babatunde Gbadamosi, Deji Doherty and Adegbola Dominic who sent his greetings from the United States.