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In
the quest to consolidate on its victory in the south west during the
2007 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the
weekend officially received some new and returning members into its
folds in Ondo State.

Former president,
Olusegun Obasanjo, who spoke at the reception said the party would not
relent until it reclaimed the states it lost to the opposition.

Mr. Obasanjo, in
welcoming Jimoh Ibrahim and others into the party at the Akure town
hall, said he was shocked that the party lost Ondo State, and all
efforts must be made to regain the top spot in the ‘sunshine state.’
The rally which was attended by party members from all the 18 local
councils was however shunned by some prominent members. One of the
aggrieved members of the party and a former friend-turned foe of Mr
Obasanjo, Oyewole Fasawe who was conspicuously missing at the rally.

Some members of the
party who served as commissioners under Olusegun Agagu’s administration
in the state also refused to attend. Among the absentees were erstwhile
commissioner for finance, Tayo Alasoadura; former commissioner for
agriculture, Ayo Ifayefunmi and former secretary to the state
government, Isaacs Kekemeke.

We are ready for violence

Despite their
absence, members of the party were assured by Mr Obasanjo that the
party will be restructured ahead of the 2011 general elections to
reclaim the states it lost to the opposition parties.

While urging
members to be united and work as a team to dislodge other political
parties in future elections Mr. Obasanjo said, ‘there is a big task
ahead of the party in 2011, we must all work together to make sure that
PDP remains a formidable party in Nigeria. Our doors are open for those
who have defected to other political parties.

“I personally did
not expect what happened in Ondo state but we have put the issue behind
us. What we are doing today is not a rally alone but to welcome new
members to our party.” The former president, who charged members to
eschew violence, however said the party was battle ready to confront
any political party that is planning to unleash violence during the
next general elections.

He also admonished
aspirants vying for different positions in the party to do away with
any act that could lead to unnecessary division in the party, stressing
that in every contest there must be a winner.

“From the state
House of Assembly to the National Assembly, I want to appeal to all
aspirants not to nurse enmity against one another. You should not dump
the party because you were not given the ticket to represent the party,
rather you should work together as a family to wrestle power from the
opposition,” he said.

He charged members
not wait for the 2013 governorship election in the state but work to
win all the elective positions in the 2011 election as well.

Repositioning the party

The party’s
national vice chairman, south west, Tajudeen Oladipupo, said more heads
would roll in the process of repositioning the party, adding that the
cleansing would be extended to states, local governments and the
national levels of the executives. “There is the need for all leaders
of the party to make sacrifice in order to reposition the party in the
eyes of the general public. We also appeal to our aggrieved leaders to
bury the hatchet and work for the success of the party,” he said.

Mr. Oladipupo
commended the maturity exhibited by the former national chairman of the
party, Vincent Ogbulafor over allegation of financial misappropriation,
saying Mr Ogbulafor’s action has further proof that PDP is a credible
party.

“The decision to
resign when he was still being probed is a laudable development which
has further boosted the image of the party among Nigerians. Though, he
has not been found guilty, he demonstrated a good quality of a leader”
he said.

The former governor
of the state, Mr Agagu said the rally marked the turning point in
recovering the party’s stolen mandate in the state.

He accused the state government of abandoning the projects he was executing before he was sacked by the court of appeal.