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Ogun Labour Party collapses as OGD, loyalists decamp to PDP

The overture extended to the former Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) to dump the Labour Party (LP) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is causing ripples among stakeholders of the party.
ENCOMIUM Weekly can reliably inform that despite Daniel’s disposition to re-unite with his former party, PDP, some of his close aides have vowed to remain in the Labour Party (LP) to pursue their ambitions.
A reliable source close to Daniel, who ruled Ogun state between 2003 and 2011, said he has since been in a serious dilemma as he had been under immense pressure to defect to the PDP and participate in the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
The source further disclosed to ENCOMIUM Weekly that a crucial meeting in respect of that was held at Aso Rock on Thursday, September 11, 2014, between President Goodluck Jonathan and OGD. And top on the agenda was how PDP will capture Ogun state in the 2015 general elections.
According to the source, that could be achieved only if the former governor returns to PDP. Those in attendance at the meeting which lasted about five hours were, Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, Senate President, David Mark and PDP Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.
One of the major agreements reached at the meeting was that all the aspirants loyal to OGD should be given universal waivers. Also, it was agreed that political seats in the state should be divided between the decampees from Labour Party and the already established members of PDP based on party strength.
OGD, we were told, has been directed by President Jonathan to get in touch with the party’s Board of Trustees chairman, Chief Tony Anenih to hasten the integration. This, we were told, will take effect any moment from now.
“Labour Party has crashed in Ogun state. I don’t think there will be anything like Labour Party in the state come 2015, because the person that nurtured the party to where it was before last week, is the former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and he has perfected all arrangements to defect to his former party, PDP. There was even a meeting to that effect between him and President Jonathan, a couple of days back.
“I also learnt he has equally informed his loyalists of the development, and almost all of them have agreed to follow him to PDP.”
Although, the Chairman of Labour Party in the state, Comrade Niyi Osoba, dispelled the rumour that Daniel had already defected to the PDP and that the LP had merged with the PDP ahead of the 2015 elections, sources said his (Daniel) days in LP are numbered.
Osoba, who addressed journalists at his Ijebu-Ode homestead, said it was true that the party structure in the state mandated Daniel to open discussions with leaders of other political parties and notable individuals that share the LP’s ideology and our principle adding that the party came to that decision, “as a result of the collective yearning and demand of our members on the need to further strengthen our party and project.”
However, one of the Labour Party governorship aspirants, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, aka GNI, and his supporters were said to have identified with the former governor, Olusegun Osoba-led Social Democratic Party (SDP), with a view to realizing their political ambitions.
One of the media aides of OGD, Steve Oliyide, who spoke to ENCOMIUM Weekly on Saturday, September 20, 2014, on the development said, “Yes, I can tell you authoritatively that there is consultation going on across all the party lines, but until an open declaration is made, no one can say Otunba Gbenga Daniel has left Labour Party for PDP.
“But now, I am sure everybody in the state belongs to one party, which is AMG, meaning Amosun Must Go. So, come 2015, all of us in the state, including students, lecturers, artisans, traders, civil servants and others will work together and kick Amosun out of Mosan. “So, Gbenga Daniel, Olusegun Osoba, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Sarafadeen Ishola, Sina Kawonise, Niyi Osoba, Bayo Dayo are in the same party. And by 2015, we will kick Amosun out.”
Also corroborating Oliyide’s submission, the Special Assistant on Media to Daniel, Mr. Ayo Giwa told ENCOMIUM Weekly on Sunday, September 21, 2014, that though there is pressure on his boss to return to PDP, as he is widely acknowledged as the only unifying factor that could unseat the incumbent governor in 2015, he however pointed out that Otunba Daniel still remains a leader in Labour Party.
Ayo Giwa added that Labour Party has become the new bride for all political parties, hence the overtures extended to the party to team up with PDP in Ogun state.
Daniel’s media aide stressed further that the former governor will, in a matter of days, come out categorically on his next political move.

– TADE ASIFAT AND DAYO RUFAI

Encomium

Written by Encomium

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