From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
A former deputy chief whip of the Senate, Hosea Agboola, yesterday predicted former governors of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala, as well as a frontline politician, Seyi Makinde, will return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) soon.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting he convened in Ibadan, Agboola, who served in the seventh National Assembly, said the leadership of PDP had been in talks with Ladoja and Alao-Akala, who both served as governors on the platform of the party.
The meeting, however, resolved that the party would, henceforth, concern itself with building of the party.
Ladoja left the PDP in 2010 for Accord, while Alao-Akala also left the party for Labour Party (LP) in 2014 and further defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier this year. However, Makinde defected to SDP in 2014.
Agboola explained that the meeting was convened in line with the decision taken at a recent meeting of Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, which tasked members to ensure all warring factions are brought back into the umbrella party.
His words: “As far as we are concerned, Makinde is more or less in PDP. He met with national officers and said he was back in PDP. We met with Senator Ladoja and he told us he is coming to PDP. Our people are also talking to Alao-Akala who has assured them he will come back too.
“Across the state, reconciliation is ongoing, and even across the country and PDP is going to win the central government and also take back the state government in 2019. Our national leaders are also discussing with Ladoja and Alao-Akala and they have promised they will come back to the PDP and I believe they will join us.”
Contacted on phone, Ladoja confirmed that the leadership of PDP at national and state levels have been in talks with him to return to the party, saying: “Senator Makarfi has called me, just as Senator Ben Obi has also done. The leaders in the state have also met with me. They want us to do the kind of coalition that gave PDP victory in the 2003 governorship election in the state.
“I have told those in the state to go and discuss among themselves and bring whatever they agree at to us for discussion. If it is the wish of their people that we should work together, we are ready.
“As Accord, we are also talking to other people. Just recently, former presidential spokesperson, Dr. Doyin Okupe, declared for Accord and there are many more that have promised to join us. We are open to such discussion.”
Also, Alao-Akala confirmed that although PDP national leaders were in talks with him and discussing his return to the party, he remains a member of APC in the state, adding: “The fact that they are talking to me does not mean I have rejoined them. As of today, I am a member of the APC.”
But, Publicity Secretary of SDP in the state, Alhaji Akeem Azeez, said the party was represented at the PDP meeting, adding: “Makinde is in the forefront of coalition of opposition parties in Oyo State and beyond, to form an alliance to field a joint candidate for gubernatorial election in 2015. He has not defected to PDP.”