By Agbonkhese Oboh

The General Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-West Zone, Rahman Owokoniran, has said the All Progressives Congress, APC, is not the dominant party in the region.

According to Owokoniran, there was need to put the records straight, as some ill-informed persons have the wrong notion that the South-West region is APC-dominated.

In a statement on Sunday, he said it was only the ill-informed people that would say the South-West is an APC region.

“APC is actually not dominant in the South-West going by the records of presidential elections conducted in the zone since the beginning of the Fourth Republic.

READ ALSO: Lagos PDP Chairmanship Judgment: Let’s close ranks, Owokoniran appeals to members

“The last two elections were good reference points. More like 47% to 52% in 2015, while that of 2019 showed a good improvement on our own side.

However, the South-West PDP scribe noted, the Party is abreast of APC’s predicament and has gone back to the drawing board to ensure redress. Mostly, in terms of election rigging, etc.

His words: “I can assure you that 2023 is going to be a repeat of 2003 if not better. We learned our lessons and we are redeeming our glorious moment in history.”

On the Lagos chapter of PDP, Owokoniran reassured that there was no leadership crisis as being suggested in some quarters.

“We all know who our leaders are. The most senior member of our party in Lagos is Chief Olabode George and the party is also back to the drawing board to determine the architectural framework of the party’s field operations.

“I can assure you that the mechanism to achieve our goal is very much in place,” Owokoniran noted.

He, however, explained that the timing of the recent court ruling on the matter of PDP Lagos chairmanship poses a slight challenge, but with solidarity in mind, the party will overcome the challenge.

“Also bear in mind that no one has control over the calendar of the Judiciary,” he added.

Owokoniran further added that the court judgment could have come earlier if not that Covid posed additional problems for every institution, particularly the judiciary.

“The safety of the court usage and many other court adjustments are responsible for several delays in the delivery of judicial duties, which also affected this particular case,” he said.

He also noted that the resolve to unite the party was not predicated on the chairman being one particular individual.

He said: “We resolved not to upset the apple cart by rallying round the court-ousted chairman for the reconciliation process to be strengthened in the interim.

“And since the reconciliation process was not completed before the court ruling on the matter, the judgment becomes part of the talking point before meaningful progress can be made.

“Moreover, we are all determined to put first the interest of the Party above that of individuals.”

He added that efforts to reconcile and unite the party in preparation for the 2023 election were in top gear.

Owokoniran reassured: “Dr. Saraki reconciliation committee is working around the clock; so are the various reconciliation committees at the zonal level. The states continue from where the zones left off.”

Moreover, he added, the party is deploying every tool within their reach to face the 2023 contest squarely.

“Youths and women are being engaged in every local government areas, to include other sensitisation and awareness programmes.

“In fact, 2023 is about 24 months away, but we are approaching it as if it is happening in a couple of weeks.

“PDP do understand perfectly well that politics is a game of numbers and, importantly, we respect and care for the democratic power of the people; that is why our party is the people’s party.

“One of our very first steps is to encourage the youths and women and see to it that the people understand the importance to register and vote massively for PDP.

“It is the party that gives them hope and provide their basic needs— security, education, public health service, transportation infrastructure and low cost housing.

“Trust me, this is possible. We have achieved it before and we are going to deliver again come 2023.

“The people have also learned that APC government is never to be trusted.”

Vanguard News Nigeria