The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is leaving nothing to chance in its quest to replicate its victory in the Ekiti governorship election in Osun State as it has begun moves to reconcile all warring factions.
To this end, President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it was gathered that it might not be unconnected with plans by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to woo the ex-governor to join its fold so as to boost its chances in the August 9 governorship election in Osun.
The PDP’s candidate in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is the major challenger to the incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola, of the APC.
The APC had national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had last week led a high-powered delegation of the party to visit Oyinlola in his Okuku-hometown and today’s meeting might be the PDP and presidency’s response to that meeting.
Mr. Oyinlola was accompanied to Tuesday’s meeting at the presidential villa by the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu.
The former governor, who was removed as National Secretary of the PDP in controversial circumstances and is challenging his removal and eventual replacement in court, is believed to hold the ace in Osun as he still commands a cult following.
Following his ouster, Mr. Oyinlola pitched his tent with the now rested ‘New PDP’, which consisted of some PDP governors and other party stalwarts opposed to the leadership style of the former national chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur.
When the New PDP eventually coalesced into the APC, the former military administrator of Lagos State, stayed back in PDP to fight to reclaim his position.
Speaking with State House correspondents after Tuesday meeting, the Okuku prince refused to divulge details of his discussion with President Jonathan, only choosing to reiterate his resolve to reclaim his position as National Secretary of the PDP.
He described the present occupier of his office as a pretender.
It would be recalled that Mr. Oyinlola had after a PDP meeting on Monday, said he was a rallying point to record victory for the party during the Osun governorship election and the 2015 general election just as he said his quitting or remaining in PDP, depended on Mr. Jonathan.
“I was taken to the villa by the chairman of the party PDP, and we had some discussions as to how to move the fortunes of the party forward”, he said on Tuesday.
“All I am telling is that Oyinlola in the face of the law remains the authentic secretary of the PDP. Anybody in that office for now, is a pretender”.
