The Peoples Democratic party in Kwara State will not hold congresses until 2018, its Chairman in the state, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, has said.
Oyedepo also said the party would not accept back into its fold the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, when his party, the All Progressives Congress, strips him “naked”.
Saraki defected from the PDP to the APC shortly before the general election in 2015.
He emerged the governor of Kwara State on the platform of the PDP to which he defected a few months before the election in 2003.
He was governor from 2003 to 2011 before he was elected senator.
Oyedepo said on Monday in Ilorin while addressing selected party leaders from the 16 local government areas of the state, that those calling for the dissolution of the State Executive Council were misinformed.
According to Oyedepo, the party executive came into office in the middle of April 2014 and took oath of office on April 17, 2014.
He said: “Section 47(1) of the 2012 PDP amended constitution gives any officer of the party elected through congress a tenure of four years.
“By the Constitution of the party, we are due to leave office on the 15th of April, 2018.
“We are not asking for elongation of tenure, but on the constitution of the party we stand.”
The chairman described those calling for the dissolution of the party’s leadership as undisciplined, and only out destroy the PDP
Oyedepo noted that the PDP in Kwara State lost the 2015 elections because candidates did not carry along the party leaders.
He said: “All the candidates of the party ran their elections the way they wanted with very scanty reference to the party executives at all levels.
“We did not handle campaign funds of the candidates and we were not involved in the logistical operations of the campaign.
“Where did we go wrong on the issue of our failure in the elections?
“After the primaries, some aspirants walked away, some betrayed the party official candidates by working for our main opposition.
“Let anybody name any member of this executive that did just that.
“Even those that embezzled campaign or election funds are the loudest about dissolution of the executive.”
The chairman said it was after the elections that the process of rebuilding the party for future elections began.
He said: “We have put together the state executive that was then divided by individual commitment to aspirants, the executive is now properly united and focused.”
Oyedepo also said the party would not accept back into its fold the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, when his party, the All Progressives Congress, strips him “naked”.
Saraki defected from the PDP to the APC shortly before the general election in 2015.
He emerged the governor of Kwara State on the platform of the PDP to which he defected a few months before the election in 2003.
He was governor from 2003 to 2011 before he was elected senator.
Oyedepo said on Monday in Ilorin while addressing selected party leaders from the 16 local government areas of the state, that those calling for the dissolution of the State Executive Council were misinformed.
According to Oyedepo, the party executive came into office in the middle of April 2014 and took oath of office on April 17, 2014.
He said: “Section 47(1) of the 2012 PDP amended constitution gives any officer of the party elected through congress a tenure of four years.
“By the Constitution of the party, we are due to leave office on the 15th of April, 2018.
“We are not asking for elongation of tenure, but on the constitution of the party we stand.”
The chairman described those calling for the dissolution of the party’s leadership as undisciplined, and only out destroy the PDP
Oyedepo noted that the PDP in Kwara State lost the 2015 elections because candidates did not carry along the party leaders.
He said: “All the candidates of the party ran their elections the way they wanted with very scanty reference to the party executives at all levels.
“We did not handle campaign funds of the candidates and we were not involved in the logistical operations of the campaign.
“Where did we go wrong on the issue of our failure in the elections?
“After the primaries, some aspirants walked away, some betrayed the party official candidates by working for our main opposition.
“Let anybody name any member of this executive that did just that.
“Even those that embezzled campaign or election funds are the loudest about dissolution of the executive.”
The chairman said it was after the elections that the process of rebuilding the party for future elections began.
He said: “We have put together the state executive that was then divided by individual commitment to aspirants, the executive is now properly united and focused.”
Oyedepo was of the opinion that it was not the best for the party to dissolve its executive, particularly now that the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was about to be made “naked” by the All Progressives Congress.
He said: “APC is in disarray and he is about to be made politically naked.
“He is looking for a shelter in case the broom sweeps him away.
“Is this the time to allow him to take refuge under the umbrella?
“The mistake of 2003 must not be allowed to repeat itself in 2016.”
Culled from the Eagleonline
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