Some leaders of the People’s Democratic Party have accused the National Chairman of the party Dr. Iyorchia Ayu of a grand plot to hand over the party to those they described as “fifth columnists.”
The leaders who included former Deputy Governor in the state said Ayu has shown no regard for the concerns of stakeholders in the state adding that the last Congress of the party was a complete sham.
Those who signed the communique on behalf of the leaders after their meeting on Thursday were former Deputy Governor Mrs. Kofo Bucknor Akerele, Mrs. Onikepo Oshodi and Dr. Remi Akitoye .
In their submission, they argued that despite the irregularities that characterized the Congress, the Ayu led National Working Committee of the party went ahead to ratify its outcome.
Read the details of the communique below:
Communique
The Elders, the leaders and the Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos state met on Thursday March 31st to deliberate on the purported ratification of the February 26th botched state Congress by Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, PDP National Chairman. Having deliberated exhaustively on the issue, the Elders, the leaders and the Stakeholders hereby unanimously resolve:
1. We are shocked, absolutely disappointed and stricken with disbelief that Dr Iyorchia Ayu arrogantly dismissed the collective essence of the National Working Committee , capriciously behaved like an autocrat, disregarded any attempt at plural contributions appropriating what ought to be a collective decision in a brazen proprietary authority.
2. Dr Ayu behaved like a sole administrator, contemptuous of the sobering voices of the Southwest representatives.
3. Dr. Ayu hardly demonstrated the requisite gravitas and the innate democratic accommodation of a good leader as he hastily ignored everyone and purportedly “ratified” what has been universally condemned as a flawed Congress.
4. Despite various petitions emanating from the aspirants, the BOT members , the Caretaker Committee and the concerned individuals which substantiated the fact that the congress was a brazen sham, Dr. Ayu still disregarded the various voices of reason .
5. The reports from INEC, the Appeal Committee, the BOT Elders, the Caretaker Committee and other quarters were all unanimous about the untidy, flawed and the inconclusive nature of the botched Congress.
6. Dr. Ayu in his wisdom cast aside this cumulative weight of evidence, hastened in contemptuous indifference to the truth, jettisoned what is right and just, flung away the constitutional pivot of our party which is anchored on justice and fairness doctrine.
7. We are dismayed, sickened and sad that there is a desperate attempt to destabilize Lagos State and render the Yoruba race inconsequential in the scheme of things. Lagos state alone has the largest electoral figures in the nation. This should not be happening very close to election year .
8. Let there be no doubt about our resolve to challenge this grave injustice with all the legitimate legal means.
9. We have ascertained and convinced that there is a well planned, premeditated attempt to hand over our state to fifth columnists whose mission is unknown, whose purpose is shrouded in an ultimate goal that appears to be a complicity with the APC.
10. We will never roll over and fade away. We will fight this injustice with temperance and sure-footedness. We reject outrightly this failed attempt to impose on the majority of our members a botched , inconclusive Congress that has no legality in law and no iota of legitimacy in the moral sense.
11. The injustice done to Lagos seems to be aligned with a very dangerous pattern to elbow out the people of the Southwest from high table at the PDP conclave.
12. Finally, we do not and we will not recognize the shambolic contraption they are trying to rig up in Lagos. We will continue this struggle until the wrongs are rectified and until Justice eventually prevails.
Signed:
1.The Leader
2.Dr Remi Akitoye
3. Senator Kofo Akerele-Bucknor
4. Chief Mrs Onikepo-Oshodi