ABUJA — PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) has summoned Governor Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo state; his estranged godfather, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and a defeated governorship aspirant, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo who are at the centre of the crisis in the State Chapter of the party to Abuja for a crucial meeting aimed at finding lasting peace to the protracted crisis and warned that any of them that comes to the meeting with thugs will be summarily dismissed from the party.
The party has also reversed the purported expulsion of the Minister of State for Health, Princess Funke Adedoyin and a member of the Board of Trustees and former Governor of the State, Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi by the Kwara State Chapter of the party, citing the unconstitutionality of the expulsion order.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party took these decisions at its regular meeting, which took place Wednesday in Abuja, presided over by the National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
In inviting the major parties to the Oyo crisis for a meeting with it at the party’s National Secretariat on Tuesday, next week, the party said it was acting consistent with the continuous efforts on its part to “normalize the political atmosphere in the crisis-ridden Oyo State PDP”.
A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Venatius Ikem said that the NWC “exhaustively x-rayed all genuine avenues to lasting peace” and resolved to invite the parties to a meeting in Abuja."
The meeting, however, set out conditions for the meeting, which is said to hold the key to unlocking the political logjam in the state. The conditions for the engagement are as follows:
· That the three major personalities in the crisis, vi-a-vis: Governor Rasheed Ladoja, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and Alhaji Yekini Adeojo be invited to a meeting with the NWC on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004 at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja at 12 noon.
· That each party should come along with three persons only to the meeting. It warns that any group that comes with more than the stated number of person will be disallowed from entering into the meeting.
· Indeed, it also warned that no group should come with thugs to the meeting or around the National Secretariat. Any group that flouts this directive will summarily be dismissed.
· The affected groups are henceforth warned to desist from making further press statements, which are capable of thwarting the peace process.
The meeting, according to the two-page statement, also “took far-reaching decisions in respect of Kwara State Chapter. Specifically, the PDP wishes to state as follows: that the purported expulsion of the Minister of State for Health, Princess Funke Adedoyin and Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi, member of the Board of Trustees by Kwara State Chapter was illegal and unconstitutional. It reaffirmed that the affected persons remain bona fide members of the party.
“The NWC also confirmed the composition of the State Exco as earlier conveyed by the National Secretary, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, to State Chapter on 14th January, 2002 and subsequently amended to include four members of the Dr. Olusola Saraki group.
