PDP CRISIS: LADOJA MAY EMERGE NATIONAL SECRETARY

The intrigues behind the current crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may eventually throw up former Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State as the next National Secretary of the party.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the crisis might be the needed tonic for the party to put its house in order as fresh reconciliatory moves by its national leadership might have opened windows of hope for positive growth, particularly in the South-West.

Information gathered in Abuja revealed that prominent estranged members of the party in the South-West, who had earlier vowed not to come back to the party, were now yielding to the advances being made to them by the PDP national leadership.

Ladoja, who is the main financier of the Accord Party, regarded as one of the strongest politicians in the South-West, is according to sources now being considered as a possible replacement for Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola who was recently sacked as the PDP National Secretary, following a High Court ruling.

Nigerian Tribune also learnt that credible party members from the zone were already being contacted by the PDP to prevail on the former governor to accept and contest for the position in a fresh zonal congress of the party which would be organised by the new committee just put in place for the zone.

The party members were also said to have been directed to commence work immediately to ensure the smooth sail of Senator Ladoja at the congress to emerge as the new PDP National Secretary.

The PDP national leadership was said to have contended that with Ladoja as the national secretary, the party would be seen as been sincere in its efforts at bringing back all the estranged members into party fold, particularly to counter the waves of the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former Governor himself showed interest in the position in the build up to the congresses and convention of the PDP last year but he lost out as he and the party leadership could not agree on the sharing of positions.

“The national leadership of PDP believes that the party requires a strong politician with visible base to serve as a rallying point in the zone. This is why the choice of Ladoja from Ibadan, the capital of South-West and a complete democrat with good touch with the grassroots, is exciting to the leaders and the presidency.

“With him, it is certain that there will be cohesion in the zone and winning Osun, Ogun and particularly Oyo is certain. In the entire South-West, it is only Ladoja and his erstwhile deputy, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala that can confidently lay claim to significant parts of their states when it come to elections.

“Ladoja has firm control of Ibadanland and has been making incursion into other parts of the state with his Accord Party, while former Governor Alao-Akala is well at home at the Ogbomoso/Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State”, a source told Nigerian Tribune.

However, as the leadership of the party was pushing for Ladoja, a group in the presidency was said to have had expressed reservations owing to what it called the new-found love between Ladoja and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The fear was said to have been quickly allayed by one of the party leaders who claimed to know Ladoja quite well and that Obasanjo masterminded the impeachment of Senator Ladoja as the governor of Oyo State in 2006.

While Senator Ladoja could not be reached to confirm on the development, it was gathered that the former governor and Alhaji Bamaga Tukur, the PDP National Chairman, “have been talking”.

Source: Tribune