Southwest PDP crisis persists

                                                   

                                                                               • Babatope 

The crisis rocking the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has persisted, following the lack of agreement among the chieftains on zoning.

The camp of Chief Bode George has alleged that the Buruji camp decided to compromise the interest of the zone because it has the backing of some elders, including Chief Shuaib Oyedokun.

In a statement in Lagos by Prof. Tejumade Akintoye-Rholes on behalf of ‘Lagos Collectives,’ the group advised the elders to stand by principle and refrain from relegating the interest of Yoruba to the background.

Akintoye Rhodes said: “In an untoward outburst, Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun denounced the majority of the Yoruba leadership that insisted on justice and equity in the zoning of the PDP chairmanship. It is rather bizarre and downright sickening when an elderly man who ought to know better has chosen to diminish and subvert the interest of his people because of selfish and narrow promptings.

“We are shocked and confounded that Chief Oyedokun is turning against the larger interest of Yorubaland when our leader like Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Dr. Bode Olajumoke, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Honorable Mulikat Akande and others are fighting relentlessly to ensure that the Yorubaland is not treated unfairly in the scheme of things.”

He added: “In a way, we are not surprised with the antics of Chief  Oyedokun. His behaviour was  overtly manifested in the debacle in the Cross Rivers PDP primaries last year when the old man who supposed to be a neutral arbiter disappeared into the winds, leaving chaos in his wake. Former President Jonathan, a usually mild mannered man, was so incensed over the incident.

“The old man is gleefully turning against the larger interest of our people.”