There was disquiet in the South West yesterday over the purported adoption of the candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the preferred candidate of the zone in the 2019 presidential election.
Some Yoruba leaders, under the aegis of South West Forum, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations and Self-Determination Groups, at the end of a colloquium in Lagos, resolved to endorse Atiku for the 2019 elections.
Tagged, “2019: The South West Speaks”, the colloquium had in attendance many PDP leaders and Afenifere chieftains, as well as some chieftains of the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
However, leaders of the ruling APC were conspicuously absent at the forum where a motion was moved for the adoption of Atiku as the preferred candidate of the South West.
A former PDP National Secretary, Dr. Remi Akitoye, moved the motion which was unanimously adopted by all the participants.
The forum resolved to support Atiku because of his agenda to restructure Nigeria, insisting that the central government wielded enormous power and that there was need to devolve more powers to the federating units.
At the colloquium were PDP governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, and his running mate, Mrs. Haleemat Busari, ADP candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi, and PDP governorship candidate in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
Others were Senate Minority Leader, Abiodun Olujimi, National Vice Chairman, South West PDP, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, a former National Secretary, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, PDP Chairman in Lagos, Dr. Adegbola Dominic, and Chairman, ADP, Barr. Adewole Bolaji.
The participants also included Prof. Banji Akintoye, an Afenifere leader and Second Republic Senator; PDP BOT member, Sen. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele; Chief Aderibigbe Shittu; Alhaji Bayo Lawal; Dr. Saka Balogun; Mogaji Gboyega Adejuwon; Erelu Olusola Obada, Chief Sunday Oguntade, among others.
Atona of Yoruba Land and former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, called for unity among ethnic nationalities in the country and advised against politics of hate.
“We must learn that nations are not built on fear or on ethnic or sectarian provincialism. We must respect each other’s differences, as well as tolerate our dissenting views”.
