S/West Congress: Arapaja’s emergence, victory for PDP internal democracy
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, a chieftain of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, says the emergence of Amb. Taofeek Arapaja as the Southwest Zonal Chairman of the PDP on Monday is a victory for democratic process.
Pearse, a University of Lagos lecturer, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday while reacting to the outcome of the just-concluded main opposition party’s Southwest delegates’ Congress in Osogbo.
After months of horse-trading and exchange of invective, the PDP gladiators in the Southwest held the party’s congress, agreed to sheath swords and work together to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the region.
Pearse, who was an observer at the congress, said that the election was conducted with transparency.
“All the candidates and stakeholders attested to it’s fairness,” he said.
According to him, with Arapaja as Chairman, and Rahman Owokoniran as Secretary, and with the other formidable officers of the party in place, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State now has lieutenants to help him deal with issues of critical importance throughout the region.
“This has to be a team effort. Politics can always borrow something from the corporate world: Arapaja can be likened to the company’s Managing Director , while Makinde is Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“A company’s main objective is to make profit, and a political Party’s aim must be to win elections.
“This team must strengthen PDP structures throughout the zone in order to prepare them for electoral victory at all levels.
“Here is an opportunity to change the current trend of deepening poverty, and frightening insecurity to life and property,” Pearse, a 2019 Lagos Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said.
He said that a PDP government in the zone would contribute its quota to the emancipation of Nigeria from APC’s maladministration.
It could be reported that a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, emerged as PDP Southwest Chairman, edging out Dr Eddy Olafeso, the immediate past Zonal Chairman with 13 votes.
Olafeso polled 330 votes while his opponent, Arapaja, polled 343 votes while 10 votes were voided at PDP South-West delegates congress held on Monday in Osogbo.
