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Oyo PDP Denies Factionalisation
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has debunked the news making rounds that the state party has been fictionalised.
The party gave the clarification in a communique issued at the end of the party meeting which held at the party Secretariat, Molete, Ibadan on Friday.
The party, however, warned those it described as ‘dissident voices’ fanning the flames of discord to desist, saying the party leadership will no longer tolerate indiscipline and public defamation of its image.
Recall that about two weeks ago, a group of aggrieved members of the party recently declared itself as a faction, assuring Governor Seyi Makinde that its members would recover the party from him in the 2023 elections.
The group, led by former deputy governor Hazeem Gbolarumi, former House of Representatives Majority Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, Hon. Ajibola Muraina, Engr. Femi Babalola and Chief Nureni Akanbi, among others, accused the governor of using members of other parties to run the PDP and government.
They also accused the governor of “high-handedness, recalcitrant attitude and lack of leadership in the party”, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at Jogor Centre, Ibadan.
The factional group, with members drawn from the 33 local governments of the state, said it had given up on Makinde and his style of leadership, stressing that it was already preparing to wrest the party from his grip in the next general elections.
But, the party leadership after the Friday meeting affirmed and identified with the leadership of Governor Makinde as the authentic leader in the state and the South-West zone.
The communique reads in part, “We also use this medium to announce that our position in Oyo State PDP is in alignment with the position of our amiable governor and leader of our party in the South-West, Engineer Seyi Makinde on the areas of security of lives and properties.
“We enjoin all the relevant security agencies to justify the good disposition of the governor towards them and see to curbing crimes in our State.
“We want to implore dissident voices that are fanning the flames of discord in our party to desist from such acts as the entire leadership of the party will henceforth not tolerate indiscipline and public defamation of the image of our party and the government by some sectarian elements in the party.
“We want to make it unequivocally clear that our party is not divided and we do not have factions. We are united and the party is becoming stronger daily under the leadership of Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha and Governor Seyi Makinde.
“We also wish to state that the winning team, the executives that won elections i.e the present set of PDP Executives are united and we are running the party according to the provisions of the constitution of our party.
“We say that those calling for the dissolution of the State Party Executives are ill-advised, misinformed, insensitive, forgetful and deliberately malicious. The state party leadership is fine and we are solidly behind our hardworking governor.
“It is important to remind those who are enemies of success that when these current set of Oyo State PDP Executives came on board, there was no single national/ state House of Assembly member neither was the party winning elections.
“The current set of executives has led the party to win gubernatorial election, a senatorial seat, four house of representative seats, 26 out of 32 houses of assembly members and also conducted, monitored and oversaw the LG elections where the party won all the 33 Chairmanship seats and 90 percent of the councillorship positions. It is sheer wickedness to call for the dissolution of a winning team.
“We want to also implore the entire populace of Oyo State to continue to support the governor of Oyo State in his quest to restore our state back to the pacesetting pedestals.
The governor has done well in the past two years of his administration despite that the fact that we inherited a state that was badly battered, almost destroyed and our funds and resources seriously injured by the inhumane, wicked, unkind, unfair and the corrupt government of the APC and their failed leaders.
“We find it rather laughable and preposterous that majority of the so called, self-acclaimed and passive leaders who are defaming, disparaging and embarrassing the hard earned victory of the party today were caught in bed with the opposition parties severally before the last general elections.
How do you describe PDP leaders who publicly campaigned for candidates of other parties and even mobilized their followers to vote for ADP/ADC and APC candidates on the Election Day?
“Many of these leaders who did not vote nor supported the candidates of the party at the national assembly and presidential elections forgot that the major negotiating data that birthed the coalition that made the gubernatorial victory easy for us was the results and the achievements of the party at the first elections which many of them worked against the interest of the party.
“It is highly imperative to note that one of the so called leaders who even signed the poor communique at the failed Jogor centre meeting sued the party up to the Supreme Court. At what point did He actually become a true party man?
“We want to inform the good people of Oyo State that many of these misguided leaders have left us in soul and spirit.
How else do you explain the characters of PDP Leaders who hosted many figures from the opposition in their houses? We have very well publicised images of the visit of Dr Fola Akinosun, Sen. Soji Akanbi and others few days/hours before the National Assembly elections and many of them have also hosted the gubernatorial candidate of APC in the 2019 election, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
“The Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Senator Teslim Folarin, and other ambitious opposition figures and we are not unaware of several nocturnal meetings of some of these so-called leaders with leading top-notch figures from the APC like Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Their game plan is to frustrate, truncate and destroy the relative peace we currently enjoy in Oyo State PDP and mortgage our hardworking governor for their selfish agenda of handing over Oyo State into the hands of the wicked, inhumane and high handed APC.
“We want to thank the good people of Oyo State who actually separated the wheat from the chaff in the current situation in Oyo State.
“We are certain and we want to assure the good people of Oyo State that our governor is working assiduously with every relevant persons, institutions, agencies and stakeholders to ensure that Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ibadan is more secured and conducive for all.
“We want to say it with all confidence that under Governor Seyi Makinde and PDP, a better Oyo State is assured.”
The meeting was attended by members of the party’s state executive council, lawmakers from the National Assembly, state assembly, council bosses among others.
Fubara said Horsfall’s life of service, patriotism, integrity and commitment to humanity had left an enduring legacy that would continue to inspire generations.
The governor spoke through the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, at the funeral service of the late elder statesman last Saturday in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the State.
He described Horsfall as a patriotic Nigerian whose leadership and dedication to the country’s development earned him a place in the nation’s history.
“Chief Horsfall was a distinguished statesman whose life was defined by service, patriotism, integrity and commitment to humanity.
“His contributions to our nation, particularly through his service as Director-General of the State Security Service, pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency and Chairman of OMPADEC, remain significant milestones in our national history,” Fubara said.
The governor noted that the late Horsfall’s contributions to national security, intelligence administration and the development of the Niger Delta would remain part of his enduring legacy.
“His legacy of leadership, national service and dedication to development will remain an enduring source of inspiration to generations yet unborn,” he added.
Fubara urged the bereaved family, the Kalabari people and other Nigerians to uphold the values of peace, unity and selfless service exemplified by the late elder statesman.
The funeral service attracted several dignitaries, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a representative of the Bayelsa State Governor, the Managing Director of NDDC, Chairman of PENDEF and the Regent of the Kalabari Kingdom.
Also in attendance were the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, the Commissioner for Special Projects and other government officials, traditional rulers and stakeholders.
Fubara stated this last Thursday in Nkoro Town during the commissioning of the newly built Sir Siminalayi Fubara Corps Members’ Lodge, executed by Hon. James A. James, the Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Sunny Ewule, the governor said the project goes beyond a building to represent hope, hospitality and responsible leadership.
According to him, providing decent and safe accommodation for Nationl Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who leave their comfort zones to serve in communities is the least government can do.
“Today we are not just commissioning a building, we are commissioning hope, hospitality and responsible leadership. The Chairman of Opobo/ Nkoro LGA, Hon. James A. James has understood a very simple truth that those who come to serve us must serve with dignity,.
“Our young graduates who serves under the NYSC scheme leave the comfort of their homes and travel far to contribute to our communities, they teach our children, they work in our health centres, and they become parts of our families.
“The least we can do is give them a decent, safe and befitting place to lay their heads. What Hon. James A. James has done today is in total alignment with the vision of this administration, an administration that believes in people, that prioritises welfare and that believes development must be felt in every local government and not just in Port Harcourt” he said.
Fubara further urged the beneficiaries of the corpers lodge to make good use of the facilities of the newly built edifice and be good ambassadors of Nigeria, respect the culture and traditions of the host community while continue to serve with dedication and patriotism.
“This Corpers lodge will enhance the security and welfare of serving corps members, boost their morale and make Opobo/Nkoro and even more attractive place for posting, it is a strategic investment in human capital and in peace building,” he said.
He commended the Opobo/Nkoro Council Chairman for aligning with his administration’s vision of ensuring development is felt in all 23 local government areas of the State, and not just in Port Harcourt, adding that the lodge is a strategic investment in human capital, security and peace building.
In his goodwill message, the Rivers State NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Moses Oleghe, said the accommodation was 85 percent of Corps members’ challenges.
Oleghe thanked Governor Fubara for the recent increase in the State allowances for Corps members to N35,000 for those in 21 rural areas and N20,000 for those in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City LGAs, describing the gesture as a moral booster for the corps members.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, at the weekend.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to tackle insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other emerging security threats across the country.
According to the statement, the proposed training programme will focus on counter-insurgency operations, intelligence-led patrols and tactical operations, particularly in difficult rural and forested environments.
Other areas of training include critical infrastructure protection, digital and scientific forensics, cybercrime investigations, explosives detection, financial investigations, asset tracing and anti-extortion operations.
The programme is expected to extend beyond the Police Mobile Force to other specialised units, including explosive ordnance disposal and forensic teams.
As part of the engagement, Disu met with the Commander-General of the Italian Carabinieri, Lieutenant-General Salvatore Luongo, to explore areas of technical assistance, professional training and institutional cooperation.
The police chief and his delegation also visited the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units in Vicenza, Italy, where they assessed training facilities and explored opportunities to adapt specialised policing programmes to Nigeria’s security needs.
Proposals discussed during the visit included command courses for 40 senior police officers, leadership training for 100 junior commanders and the deployment of a mobile assistance team to support Police Mobile Force training schools in Gwoza, Borno State, and Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
The discussions also covered the development of a national stability policing doctrine and standard operating procedures to improve professionalism, operational coordination and civilian protection, particularly in communities recovering from conflict.
Other areas of proposed cooperation include canine operations, forensic science and mounted policing, including horse breeding and local capacity development for effective public order management.
To formalise the proposed partnership, the IGP has initiated moves towards a Memorandum of Understanding covering specialised training, technology transfer and operational procedures.
He also invited an Italian Carabinieri assessment team to Abuja to identify priority needs and develop implementation arrangements.
Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to international partnerships that will strengthen operational readiness, improve investigative capacity and enhance the protection of lives and property.
The statement did not, however, indicate when the proposed training programme would commence or provide a definite implementation timetable.
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