By Dapo Akinrefon

WITH the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, releasing guidelines for the  July 22, 2017, local council polls, eyes are on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to improve on its electoral fortunes in the state. The party made an impact in the 2015 general elections when it won six of the 24 House of Representatives seats and eight of the 40 state Assembly slots. Two years after, the party is expected to widen its in-roads into the grassroots by winning a sizeable number of the 20 councils and 37 local development areas.

Adewale & Salvador

However, the party has a tough nut to crack to gain more electoral mileage in Lagos. Apart from the defection of six of its state lawmakers to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, it is also entangled in a protracted leadership crisis occasioned by the disagreements between the Senator Alli-Modu Sheriff-led National Executive Committee, NEC and Senator Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee, NCC.

The duo of Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi have been at each others’ throat over the leadership of the party. Though the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, last month, affirmed former governor of Borno State, Senator Sheriff, as the authentic national chairman of the party, this has left a bitter taste in the mouth of the Makarfi group, who are also laying claim to the mantle of leadership.

Senator Sheriff had gone to the Appeal Court to challenge the judgement of Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, delivered on July 4, 2016, which upheld the appointment of Ahmed Makarfi as the chairman, PDP National Caretaker Committee.

In a split decision, the Appeal Court ruled that it was illegal to replace the Sheriff-led National Working Committee with the Makarfi-led caretaker committee. Not satisfied with the ruling, the Makarfi faction has approached the Supreme Court to quash the verdict of the Appeal Court.

Preparations for the council elections

In Lagos, the crisis appears to be taking a toll on the preparations of the PDP for  the council elections. With the Appeal Court verdict affirming Sheriff as national chairman of the party, Mr. Segun Adewale also referred to as Aeroland, is laying claim to the leadership of the party in Lagos but the Moshood Salvador camp insists otherwise.

Even with  the Appeal Court verdict affirming Sheriff as national chairman of the PDP, the Lagos PDP still remains under the firm of grip of Chief Olabode George. George, a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, has refused to have anything to do with Senator Sheriff.

When the judgement was delivered, George, who is the Atona Oodua of Ile-Ife said: “I was shocked. To use the word ‘shock’ is mild. It is worse than being shocked.” The image of George continues to loom large over the party in Lagos State and he has a large chunk of the members under his wings.

Peace talks: To present united front at the polls, Vanguard gathered that both camps held series of meetings, last week, with the council elections being the main agenda. Chairman of the Sheriff-led PDP in Lagos, Mr. Segun Adewale, who confirmed the meeting, said he has been in touch with the Makarfi-led chairman in the state, Mr. Moshood Salvador.

His words: “I have called the chairman of the Makarfi-led PDP, Mr. Salvador and the purpose of the meeting is for us to reconcile and resolve our differences before the local government elections. We intend having the meeting at the party secretariat because if we are going to the elections as a divided house, we will face defeat. We are going to meet so that we can put our house in order.”

Contacted, Mr. Salvador, who leads the Makarfi-led PDP in the state, said: “I cannot confirm that because we have been hearing it is a rumour. All I can say is that we are resolving our differences in the interest of the party and the people. For now, I cannot say how it will go but we are prepared for the elections.”

Also confirming the reconciliation meeting, Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Taofik Gani said, “the common focus now is on the local government elections. For about three days now, there have been marathon meetings of the two groups. There have been meetings but I know it will not be easy to cross the ‘t’s and dot the ‘i’s because we know there are some sponsored interest groups who do not want reconciliation.”

Stalemate: However, the peace parley did not bear desired dividends. While Adewale was in attendance, Salvador was absent. Salvador was said to have arrived after the meeting had ended. Confirming that the meeting held, Adewale said: “We held the meeting at the party secretariat but Salvador failed to show up. It was after we left that he arrived the meeting. We need to reconcile and put our house in order before the elections so that we can defeat the APC. If by next week, they fail to show up for another meeting, it means they are working for the APC.”

Also, Salvador, a former member of the House of Representatives, confirmed the peace parley but was quick to point out that he was absent. He said: “The meeting held but I was unavoidably absent. By the time I got there, Aeroland was on his way. I was not around for the meeting but he (Aeroland) had a meeting with some of our party leaders.”

There was, however, a twist to the outcome of the meeting. While Salvador said that Adewale had agreed to step down as chairman and be his deputy, as part of conditions for peace, Adewale disagreed insisting that the mandate was given to him by the Court of Appeal.

Common front to defeat the APC

Salvador said: “Adewale has agreed to the terms that I will be the chairman and he would be my deputy.” Adewale countered: “I did not say that. The mandate was given to me by the court. For peace to reign, we must come together and forge a common front to defeat the APC in the coming local government elections. What I said was that I am willing to share my office with Salvador.”

Party inaugurates election committee: Meanwhile, ahead of the council polls, the party led by Salvador has set up an election committee to undertake the activities of the party. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, it stated that the 25-member committee will be headed by Mr. Tolagbe Animashaun.

Gani said: “The council is geared towards improving her success from the councils won in the last general elections to increasing areas of political control. The Chairman of the council is a seasoned politician with high integrity and has promised to give all aspirants fair game in order to give to Lagosians best hands to serve them. We are also aware that the LASIEC, is being put under pressure by the APC-led government to disenfranchise our eventual candidates. This council is to now continue the interface with the electoral body for any clarification of doubts on our candidates.”