If there was any contention, even in public perception on who is truly in charge of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Southwest, the score was settled at the April 12, 2021 Southwest Zonal Congress of the party, held at WOCDIF Centre in Osogbo, Osun State.
Before the Congress, the public was divided between the incumbent governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, and former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, with members of the party, pledging loyalty to either of the two.
It remains fresh in the minds of political watchers that even the efforts of the National Working Committee of the party to reconcile the two in the interest of the party proved abortive. Inter alia, the friction between the two led to the postponement and relocation of the congress from Oyo State to Osun State.
All that was laid to rest with two masterstrokes – the public acknowledgment of the former by the latter as the leader and father of the party at the Congress, and the emergence of loyalists of Makinde as winners in all the positions contested during the Congress elections, led by Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, who defeated Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist of Fayose to emerge the chairman of the party in the zone.
Observers note that the 2021 Southwest Zonal Congress of the PDP was not merely fiercely contested, it featured intrigues, power-play and money, among other political traits that have come to be associated with the Nigerian situation.
With divided loyalty, which had seen the party split into factions in some of the Southwest States, coupled with the two major gladiators’ political ambitions and perceived strong characters, a lot of people were watching out for who would berth the eyelid first. This necessitated the heavy presence of security operatives, as most delegates were apprehensive, and the desire to forestall breakdown of law and order became paramount.
However, Fayose, after making what seemed a triumphant entry into the venue, called for calm, pledging loyalty to Makinde in a manner, which many said, decided not just the outcome of the elections, but also ensured that the peace was maintained throughout the process.
Amidst applause from his loyalists, which appeared orchestrated to interrupt the Congress, Fayose went straight to where Makinde sat, hugged him and took time to exchange pleasantries with him. He then acknowledged Makinde as his leader and that of the Southwest zone of the party. And in real display of slippery political character, warned the supporters of both leaders to desist from fueling enmity between them.
Fayose said, “Governor Seyi Makinde is our leader. Our supporters and lovers should not continue to put a wedge in between us. Whichever way this election goes; I will accept the results.
“Even though Arapaja had abused me so much, I will be the first person to visit him in Ibadan. Nobody has offended me, and if I have offended anybody, I sincerely apologise. Seyi Makinde remains our father come what may.”
His sudden appearance, speech and public display of camaraderie doused the tension which heightened when delegates thought Fayose had shunned the Congress at the early stages, owing to the sore relationship between him and Makinde.
Shortly before that, the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu, who represented his principal, Samuel Ortom, as the Chairman of the Electoral Panel of the Congress, had invited Governor Makinde to make his remarks before the erstwhile executives of the zone would be dissolved. At this time, Fayose was conspicuously absent.
A calm Makinde pledged to work with whoever emerged Chairman of the party, noting that there would be no victor, no vanquished.
“This is a family affair. It is an attempt to reposition our party in the Southwest. It has ramifications for our party at the national level. Whatever the outcome is, we will take it in the spirit of a family contest. We don’t want to defeat ourselves. We want to defeat the All Progressives Congress,” he said.
While being cheered by supporters, Makinde added, “At the end of this exercise, there will be no victor, no vanquished. As the only governor of the party in the zone, whoever emerge as the executives, I will work with them to reposition the party. I thank you for the peaceful conduct.”
The outcome of the Zonal Congress elections shows that Makinde’s loyalists emerged winners at all levels, to which watchers ascribe the meaning that the governor has the party structure in control. One of the major bones of contention between Fayose and Makinde was that the incumbent governor should content himself with party affairs and control within his own State, Oyo, while other local party chieftains in other states would do so in their domains.
However, with the turn of events from the 2021 Southwest Zonal Congress, Makinde has his loyalists well in place over the PDP in the zone.
In his victory speech, the new Southwest Zonal Chairman, Arapaja, a former deputy governor of Oyo State, thanked Makinde and Fayose. Playing up party interests above selfishness, he said, “It’s our party. We will work together and move the party forward. We want to reposition the party. I will work with my brother, Olafeso, to achieve our aims.”
Similarly, the runner-up, Olafeso, while conceding defeat, promised to work with Arapaja. He acknowledged all the delegates for the peace and tranquility experienced during the congress and assured that with Governor Makinde in Oyo State, the Southwest would be controlled by the PDP, very soon.
“The storm is over; there is a new beginning for our party. We have to thank God almighty that despite the odds, there is a new beginning for our party. The time is now. I thank everybody who supported me,” he stated.
