The Peoples Democratic Party’s national leadership has vowed to win all South West states, including Lagos, in the 2027 general election.
The party made this statement through its National Vice Chairman, South West, Engr Ajisafe Kamaru Toyese, at the swearing-in of Ogun State PDP Caretaker Committee members on Thursday at the party’s Zone Secretariat in Bodija, Ibadan.
According to him, “it is possible to win the five states of the South West if we bring all dissatisfied party members together and implement the principle of inclusivity in the upcoming election.
“The committee’s duty is to bring these tendencies together so that they become one. Regardless of any electoral rigging, we won the previous election in Ogun State.
“As a lawyer, I accepted the Supreme Court decision. We only lost the election at the Supreme Court; we won the forensic count of ballots cast. It is possible to do this in Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo states during the next election.”The only state that will benefit us if we win is Lagos.”
“We praise God for our governors, particularly in Oyo and Osun states. They are doing quite well.
“Governor Seyi Makinde, our leader in the South West, has done a lot of infrastructure development in Oyo State, and the opposition in Osun is no longer talking about performance; instead, they are worrying if Governor Ademola Adeleke will be able to complete the huge projects”.
“Just last week, he paid over N3 billion of the APC government’s salary backlog.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Chief Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun in the previous election, expressed his disappointment with the anti-party activities of some party members in the state, saying, “In the previous election, we improved by 190,000 votes compared to the previous election.”
“We’re delighted we were able to wrestle the party from Buruji Kashamu. We won the election with 50,000 votes.
“But our chairman stated that we had lost the poll. Look at the state of the PDP in Lagos. It is no longer active. If we stand together, unified, there is nothing we can ask Nigeria for.”
Mr. Awoleye Dada, a former member of the House of Representatives who also serves as the committee chairman, stated following the swearing-in ceremony that he was surprised to be selected for the role, but that once he sat with the other committee members, his worries were allayed.
“Every member of the party has shown a desire to retake Ogun State. Politicians like us have to differ due of conflicting interests. We’ll make the work simple. Ogun State will join the PDP in 2027. Considering the calibre of these Committee members, we cannot afford to fail”
During the most recent local government election in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde applied the inclusion principle. Following the election, certain non-PDP members were appointed supervisory councillors to recognise their contributions during the council election.
“We’ve been told to strike the ground running. Nobody should stop us from winning the next election.”
The function was attended by party chiefs from the zone. They include Alhaja Bosede Adedibu, Zonal Women Leader, S/W, General Secretary SW, Alhaji Rahman Owokoniran, Deputy Governorship candidate in the previous election, and Mr Lukman Adeleye, Minority Leader, Ogun State House of Assembly, among others.
Final Thoughts
The emphasis on inclusivity and bringing dissatisfied party members together highlights the PDP’s focus on unity and internal cohesion. By addressing grievances and involving diverse voices within the party, the PDP hopes to strengthen its electoral prospects.
The party’s leaders are using the performance of Governors Seyi Makinde and Ademola Adeleke as examples of successful governance that could sway voters. Infrastructure development and addressing salary backlogs are shown as achievements that could help the party appeal to the electorate.
