Mr Ifedayo Adedipe, Ondo Central Senatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has admonished the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, to relinquish his position in the interest of the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers and four other governors have been calling for Ayu’s resignation as the national chairman to pave the way for inclusiveness in the party’s administration.
Adedipe, who made the call while speaking with NAN on Sunday in Akure, said the crisis rocking the party was not a personal matter between Wike and the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The PDP senatorial candidate said that it had became imperatives for the national chairman to make sacrifice by yielding to the call for inclusiveness and carrying them on board.
According to him, what the governors are asking for is that the presidential candidate and the party’s national chairman should not come from the same region.
Adedipe, who said he had sympathy for Wike for being the rock and pillar of the party between 2015 and now, regretted that the PDP “is still talking of unifying the party at this crucial time instead of talking of how to win election”.
He said If the chairman wants to help his party, he should be ready to make sacrifices and look at what the party stands to lose if these governors are not on board.
He pointed out that “it is better to make the supreme sacrifice so that the crisis will not damage the party”.
“The crisis is not personal, the aggrieved governors are looking for inclusiveness, and don’t anybody deceive you that they cannot do nothing.
“It will be counter productive and unhealthy for them to leave because we can not afford another eight years of APC under any guise.
“Ironically, the PDP has more governors in the south than in the north. So, if I were the chairman, I will not wait till after winning the election before I resign in the interest of the party.
“If Ayu can willingly relinquish his position in the interest of the party, he will automatically become a hero just as Aminu Tambuwa was termed as hero during the night of the party’s convention.
“Ayu should become a hero by leaving now,” he said.
The senatorial candidate, therefore, called on the electorates to resolve and vote for PDP in the senatorial, presidential and other elective positions in the forthcoming general election.
He promised to be accessible to his constituents and represent them well if elected into the upper chamber of the National Assembly in the 2023 general election.
The PDP senatorial candidate, who explained that he delved into politics to give back to the society, said “there is a limit to what an individual can do to help the society”.
He lamented that the society lacked quality leaders with political will to improve the standard of living of the poor masses.
“You will agree with me that no individuals, no matter how rich they are, can do what a well run government can do for the masses,” he said.
According to him, there is no amount of wealth individual persons can possess to be able to fix roads, build bridges, hospitals and stadia, among others, for the benefit of the society without government interventions.
Adedipe said that it was high time society began to have people with ideas, people with altruistic reasons to be in government.
He said the national assembly, which which was designed for lawmaking and others, needed well informed legislators on board.
“If I am elected into the national assembly, I will be a very good people’s senator, lobby on their behalf, work for them and I will always be available and accessible.
“And if I do not represent them well, they can report me to my family because I am from the illustrious Elemo Family in Akure. I have a duty to hold the banner of the family without any stain.
“And having reached the pinnacle of my carrier as a legal practitioner (SAN), I believe it’s high time I gave back to the society.
“My duty is not to only the people of Akure but also to people of Ondo East, Ondo West, Ifedore, Idanre, Akure South and Akure North Local Government areas.
Adedipe expressed confidence that the landmark achievements of the previous administration of the PDP, in both the state and county at large, would speak for it as a political party, given the reality on ground.
He said that the people were yearning for the return of PDP in the state.
According to him, every election is a referendum on the party in office and the ruling party is not a party to vote for in the state.
“I am sure the people will make a wise choice.
“Although, the APC may be in control of the state at the moment, during election we will know who the people prefer. But I can tell you that PDP is the people’s choice in Ondo State.
“On election day, the electorates will come out massively because their votes are what will liberate them from the shackle of oppression that the APC had put us into,” he said.
