…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South West Stakeholders Forum rose from an emergency meeting in Ibadan on Saturday strategizing on how to regain Ekiti State at the forthcoming governorship election holding this year.
The Forum declared their unflinching loyalty to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the Party’s National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur just as they also re-affirmed their support for the party’s National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo.
The four-hour meeting which took place amidst tight security at Le Chatteu Hotel, Bodija, in the Oyo State capital, had in attendance delegates from all the states in the South West including their respective state chairmen.
One of the party leaders from Ogun State, Chief Buruji Kasamu, while announcing the resolutions adopted at the end of the meeting disclosed that the Forum also demanded for a date for zonal congress as well as an extra ordinary congress so as to further accommodate the general opinions of party members at the grassroots.
While declaring that the main objective of the meeting was to map out strategies on how to regain the South West zone, the Forum called on all members cooperate by actualizing the dream from Ekiti State where the governorship election is scheduled to hold this year.
In rallying support for Dr. Bamanga Tukur, the Forum defended stoutly his (Tukur’s) principled stance in the party affairs saying it would have been undemocratic for the party chairman to announce categorically that President Jonathan cannot go for Second Term, as being demanded by some interest groups.
The Forum described as ‘ingrates’ the PDP members defecting to the All Progressive Congress (APC).