Lagos PDP holds congress, vows to sweep LG election
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday held its special congress which it said is in preparation for the forthcoming state council elections, ward, state and national congress.
The event which was help at the party state secretariat at Adekunle Fajuyi way,Ikeja GRA attracted large turnout of party members, leaders and stalwart across the 20 local government areas and 37 Local council development area (LCDA).
Chieftain of the Party in Lagos State, Chief Bode Goerge, appealed to party members to be peaceful and united during the forthcoming party congress.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, attended by party chieftains and faithful, was organised to prepare for the forthcoming party congresses scheduled to commence on April 30.
George said the PDP remained a party to reckon with and urged the party members not to let it go down.
“Today, PDP has become an Iroko tree. This party must not go down. I want to beg you that even when we disagree, let us allow the people to decide in our congresses.
“Let’s avoid personal interest; let’s do away with imposition; only the competent people should be elected into positions. Please, go about the congresses peacefully, I am pleading.
“We have to be united since everybody cannot become a leader; everybody cannot become chairman. Only one person can do it.
“Let’s support whoever God has ordained to lead. PDP will win hands down if other contestants of any post support whoever emerges as winner,” he said.
The party chieftain said there was no division or faction in the party in the state.
Another chieftain of the party, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, urged the leadership of the party to give room for the youths in the forthcoming ward, local and state congresses.
According to him, the older generation in the party should leave the party leadership for the youth in order to give hope and future to the party.
“We need youths to take over the leadership of the party at the ward, local, state and even national level; let’s give them a chance.
“The youths should do it, let the older people leave the youth alone; they are matured enough,” he said.
Ogunlewe, a former Minister of Works, urged party elders to avoid greed and support youths with good counsel in order to move the party forward.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the Party, retired Capt. Tunji Shelle, said: “We are fully prepared in Lagos State for the convention and we expect other states to follow suit. The state is preparing for the 2019 elections too.”
The chairman said that the party would field good candidates in all council elections.
Speaking with Daily Times on the congress, the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Barrister Taofeek Gani disclosed that the occasion was the last for the current state executives, adding that it afforded the excos to speak directly to its members, highlight their strategies for victory in the forth coming state council poll.
He added that the congress also afforded the party members to be informed on the new method and initiatives of electing its executives at all levels and ways of repositioning the party in the state.
He challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state to give tangible reasons for its refusal to conduct council elections in the state, stressing that the APC was afraid of losing as it has performed woefully.
He said: “This congress is the last in the life of this Exco, it was to brief the members on how things have been done and to discussed the council election.
“There is no reason for the continued delay in the council poll, we are comfortable at any point to go to elections, the APC is jittery because they are no more popular. We are comfortable and we would win 15 LGAs, politically the APC is not bold enough to win grassroot election in Lagos State.”
Also speaking, a leader of the party in the state and former deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofo Akerele Buknor said the large turn of party members showed that the PDP was ready to sweep the council elections adding that Nigerians were tired of empty promise by the APC.
The former Deputy Governor berated the APC for lacking plans on how to solve the nations numerous problems adding that it was only interested in acquiring power.
Her words: “You can see that PDP is on the ground running, we are planning for the council elections, Nigerians are not happy because they are disenchanted, they are getting poorer, there is no light, water, petrol, food is expensive, why should they vote for a party that would bring more suffering to them?
“APC has no plan for the country, people know that APC just wanted to acquire power, we are working hard and you would be surprised that we would sweep the council election”, Akerele added.
