BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—FOLLOWING the statement by a former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja that he had not closed his eyes to the Peoples Democratic Party, a factional secretary of the party in the state, Alhaji Bashiru Akanbi has said the ex-governor was free to return provided he fulfils some certain conditions as specified by the constitution of the party.

Though, Ladoja said it was some national leaders of the party that had discussion with him on his possible return to the party, Alhaji Akanbi insisted that the former governor had to go back to his ward for recommendation. This, he said,  was in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the party.

Ladoja left PDP when the party disappointed him twice on his governorship ambition and contested on the platform of Accord Party (AP) during the April 2011 election.

The former governor also said that the immediate past governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala had come to him that they should work together, he said until certain anomalies were corrected and genuine reconciliation made by the party at the national level, he was fulfilled in his present party, which he said, recorded better success than the PDP in the South West.

Akanbi said: “Senator Ladoja had been a leading party member. When he sought to return to the party, we directed him to go to his ward but he preferred to be re-admitted from Abuja then and that is contrary to our party rules.”

...Daniel too

ABEOKUTA—The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, Tuesday said its door was opened for the immediate past Governor of the State, Olugbenga Daniel, if he chose to return to the party.

At a strategic meeting in Ijebu-Igbo, leaders of the party vowed to re-claim  the state from  the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state, in subsequent elections beginning from the forthcoming local government election.

The meeting attended by its leaders including the  state Secretary of the party, Chief Pegba Otemolu, a financier of the party and Prince Buruji Kashamu, unanimously agreed  to re-open  the party’s door to Daniel and his loyalists who defected to other parties  before  the  last election.

Speaking at the meeting, Prince Kashamu said all former members including Daniel, former Minister of Commerce, Chief Jubril Martins-Kuye, and ex-Senator from Ogun East, Lekan Mustapha will be embraced anytime they make a u-turn to the party.

It will be recalled that the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of PDP, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had vowed not to be in the same party with Daniel, except after his death..

According to Kashamu, “No one is powerful as God. PDP will re-claim its mandate. If Gbenga Daniel wants to re-join PDP, let us allow him. He cannot be governor again, he has exhausted his constitutionally permitted eight years as governor, he does not have the power more than an ordinary member in the party.”