A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AFTER THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF YOUNG LEADERS IN PDP HELD AT THE CONFERENCE HALL OF THE ONDO STATE PARTY SECRETARIAT, ALAGBAKA, AKURE ON SATURDAY, 5TH OF MARCH, 2022.
Deeply worried about the losing streak of the Ondo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) since the famous victory of 2019 at the General Elections, conscious youths across the Federal Constituencies that consists of Ondo State met to x-ray the performance of the Party in the 2020 Gubernatorial Polls and the just concluded Akure North/South Federal Constituency Bye Election.
The unfortunate loss of Akure to the opposing party, despite recording maximum victory within the same constituency just over a year ago, calls for serious concern which sparks a need to ensure truth and genuine reconciliation before going into the next elections. Whilst various problems were highlighted at the meeting, reasonable and radical solutions were proffered to put an end to the quagmire the Party is currently plunged in.
It is of a truth that a larger percentage of members of the Party are youths and whatever is done by leaders at the helm of affairs, the youths bear the brunt. It is our belief that our leaders are very comfortable with the status quo and would do little or nothing to ensure genuine reconciliation, as they are direct beneficiaries of the qualm and disunity within the party.
In every election, these leaders who have positioned themselves to ‘milk’ aspirants and leave them out cold on election day. It has even gotten to the extent that known leaders in the Party keep funds meant to prosecute elections in the hope of victory for the party to spite themselves, while youths do all the work required to ensure we emerge victorious against all odds. This act of sabotage has gotten to the extreme and must be eschewed if the Party is to seriously challenge the incumbent in 2023.
After the 2019 General Elections, the PDP has been on a free fall. Events before, during and after the 2020 gubernatorial polls only confirmed that the Party is utterly divided from top to bottom and that leadership is almost non existent beyond the rhetorics of past achievements by present losers. This stark division in the Party’s topmost heirachy has eaten deep into the core fabric of every unit, ward, LG, senatorial district and ultimately the State organs of the party.
We make bold to say that their are almost no leaders who have not soiled their hands in their pursuit of bias within a system that is expected to be for everyone. These camps serves the interest of a minute percentage of leaders and not the overall interest of the Party and its members. The selfishness of these leaders has plunged the Party into a ditch that it will take gut and strong will to rescue us from. Camps within the PDP sabotage efforts of the whole just to spite the others.
The overall lack of transparency and lustful zeal for control has destabilized the Party. It is worthy of note that since the end of the 2020 election, the Party has yet to give an account of its financial dealings before, during and after the election. This has not only turned leaders against themselves but has made trustworthiness hard to come by amongst them. The absolute lack of reconciliatory moves either by the State or Zone or National Party organs is a pointer to the fact that the Party is not serious and ready to position itself to take over from these strange bedfellows in power. It was argued that the State SWC, being the greatest beneficiary of the division in the Party, seem content with the status quo even as it plays a fiddle in the hands of a few.
The pampering of glaring acts of anti-party in the past by the Party leadership has emboldened other members to do likewise without fear of reprimand. In the just concluded Akure Federal Constituency Bye Election, members and leaders of the Party actively engaged in anti-party activities. It’s a fact that the PDP financially mobilized its members more than the opposition Party, yet the Party lost. It was clear acts of sabotage. In Akure North, PDP leaders in the LG seem to have given up days before the election. Party leaders shared funds meant to prosecute elections amongst themselves and sent a paltry sum to the Units. The Party’s Returning Officer was nowhere to be found at the Collation Centre. This is further evidenced by the boldness of a PDP member from Akoko NE/NW Federal Constituency, Hon. Obanla openly endorsing the candidacy of a sitting representative in the APC. These are the leaders of the PDP upon which further electoral victory is expected to be built.
It is often said that there is nothing to share in zero but it doesn’t seem like that here. Our leaders milk aspirants dry before Primaries and oftentimes, the candidate of the Party is left to dry on election day. A certain member of the BOT from Ondo State is known to be reckless in this regard.
OUR RESOLUTION
- That a truth and reconciliation committee be set up to meet leaders of the Party.
- That a leadership summit be organized to bring leaders up to date with what is obtainable in the 21st Century political system.
- That the Youths of the Party across board go back to their Units and Wards to pick up leadership roles at the grassroot level.
- That members of the Party shun pig-fights on Social Media and concentrate on getting power from the opposition.
- That the ultimate goal of Party members should be to win the general election and not just pick up Party tickets.
- That leaders are warned to stop milking aspirants. Anyone found culprit will be publicly dragged irrespective of who the person is.
- That the SWC should know that its allegiance is to the Party and not individuals.
- That the Party publish its financial report from 2019 till date.
- That the National Secretariat immediately look into the affairs of the Ondo State PDP without bias in correcting the injustices within the system fuelled by some leaders in their bid to hold on to their meal tickets against the present and future success of the party.
Conclusively, as youths that have ambitions, we will not allow leaders who have achieved it all to play games with our sweats and hopes. We call on young men and women to band together as one unit to foster our hope of future victories for the party.
We appeal to young people to come out and contest in all future elections and to be ready to pay the price needed for our inclusion in the administration of the party.
Signed:
THE COUNCIL OF YOUNG LEADERS IN PDP.
