Loyalists of late business mogul and politician, Senator Buruji Kashamu in Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a faction led by former House of Representatives, Hon Oladipupo Adebutu on Wednesday finally reunited, laying to rest over a decade protracted crisis in the party.
The PDP had been embroiled in crisis over the party structure, a development which largely affected fortune of the party that produced Otunba Gbenga Daniel as the state governor between 2003 and 2011.
And following the intervention of Dr Bukola Saraki – led reconciliatory panel set up by the national leadership of PDP, the two factions at the centre of crisis – Kashamu and Adebutu factions – agreed to work together and put the crisis behind them.
The factions at the reunion meeting held at party secretariat in Abeokuta, on Wednesday, declared their readiness to work together and crush the ruling APC in 2023.
In attendance at the gathering were, leaders from both factions of the party, including Chief Doyin Okupe, Ladi Adebutu, Aare Tunde Alabi, Prince Segun Seriki and others.
Seriki who led Kashamu men to the meeting declared that the party will henceforth operate under Sikirullahi Ogundele – led executive of the PDP, thereby collapsing the other faction which paraded Samson Bamgbose as the Chairman.
“The meeting agreed that Sikirullahi will be the only Chairman of PDP in the state,” Seriki said.
He expressed regret that the crisis had robbed off PDP the chances of returning to power since 2011 when the party was defeated upon expiration of Daniel’s tenure.
Seriki called on party members to be committed to the reunion and work towards rebuilding the party for victory in 2023 election.
On his part, Bamgbose applauded leaders of the party for achieving reconciliation of the warring factions of the PDP.
He asked PDP leaders and supporters to be ready for the battle to unseat the ruling party in 2023.
“We are going to the battle front. We must be ready and win,” Bamgbose said.
In his words, Ogundele said the reunion marked the beginning of a new relationship that would drive the party to power in 2023.
“I am happy that the PDP of 2003 is now back. We are now together in harmony, looking forward to having a united PDP in Ogun State.
“We are going to get back our mandate from the misrule of the APC, a party that has no blueprint. They just wake up in the morning and embark on any project that comes to their head. They give water or road where not needed. The PDP is the best party so far and we are winning in 2023,” Ogundele stated.
In his remarks, Okupe was full of praises as he knelt to praise God for the reunion, describing it as happening at God-given time.
Okupe told party leaders in the state that “disagreement is not disloyalty,” adding that “if we don’t disagree, we can’t agree to move forward.
Addressing party faithfuls, Adebutu enjoined them to be work in harmony without any rancour.
“the PDP has come to rescue Ogun residents and Nigerians from the suffering bestowed on them by the APC,” Adebutu said.
