The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democracy Party, Ahmed Makarfi, on Thursday in Ibadan visited the former governors of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, and Adebayo Alao-Akala, the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in the last general election, Seyi Makinde, a former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, and some other members of the party in the state in their various homes.
Makarfi assured former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and other aggrieved members of equal right and level playing field in the PDP.
With him on the visit were a former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, a former member of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Adeola, chairman of the party in the South-West, Eddy Olafeso, Senator Hosea Agboola, a member of the House of Representatives, Senator Femi Lanlehin and a former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana.
The Accord members who welcomed Makarfi included Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Dr. Nureni Adisa, Dr. Nureni Adeniran and members of the state House of Assembly on the platform of Accord party.
Ladoja, who is the National Leader of Accord party, however asked for a level playing field for him and his men.
He said equal opportunity and rights is the only condition for joining the party.
He said: “I don’t want to leave PDP. We were forced to leave PDP. Myself, Ngige and Fayose.
“Mr. Chairman, what are the terms? If the terms are right and the term is that equality of everybody.
“Ladoja is not coming to PDP, Ladoja and his people are coming. My colleagues in Accord, they are here, some members of Oyo State House of Assembly are here, have I spoken. We won eight seats in the state Assembly. That shows how strong we are.
“I can say within the next two days, even next two hours, we can say come and raise our hands.
“When we left PDP, we got a lot of offers. That is why we are in Accord. I want to assure you that it is the desire of everybody to send this government away.
Makarfi said: “Politics is dynamic. The convention we planned, there is going to be constitution amendment to address the issue of internal democracy. Only last week, during the primary of our party in Anambra, we granted waiver to a gubernatorial aspirant. These issues you have raised.
“Don’t nurse any fear, let’s start together. We have a committee which seeks to harmonise everybody; let’s start afresh.
“You have not committed any offence to get amnesty. We want to integrate you back. It is better they get integrated under our leadership before the convention. The earlier the better.”
Makarfi said that at the election convention of the party coming up in December, there would be constitution amendment that would address all the issues that Ladoja and Makinde raised.
He noted there were injustices that must be corrected for the party to bounce back stronger.
