A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State on Tuesday embarked on a protest against former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The PDP’s faction, believed to be loyal to Governor Gbenga Daniel, accused Obasanjo of injustice and high handedness.
The group also vowed to embark on a prolong fasting and prayer against what it described as an alleged injustice being perpetrated in the state.
Party supporters drawn from all the 20 local government areas in the state had converged at the faction’s secretariat as early as 8am and from there, proceeded to major streets in Abeokuta.
The development that let to heavy traffic across the metropolis, with commuters stranded at bus stops for several hours
The protesters moved round the major streets of Abeokuta with different placards with inscriptions such as “OBJ Going! Going! Gone,” “Judiciary, enough of kangaroo injunctions,” “Ogun PDP says no to OBJ,” and “OGD is our leader in Ogun”.
The group also criticised the non-acceptance of the list of the PDP’s primaries submitted by the faction to the Independent National Electoral Commission and denied it alleged plan to defect to another party just vowed to remain in the PDP.
The PDP’s State Chairman, Mr. Joju Fadairo, while speaking at the rally, described the crisis rocking the party as temporary, assuring the faithful that the party would rise above the present challenges.
He said he was optimistic about various court injunctions and expressed the hope that the position of the group would soon be validated by the courts.
He said, “Our coming here today is to tell them that we have not left the party, we are still in this party. I assure you we shall conquer all odds because we are the owner of the PDP. We are not going anywhere.”
The PDP governorship candidate of the faction, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka, who also spoke at the rally, expressed hope in the judiciary and insisted that he would not give up the struggle.
He said, “I want to assure you that the mandate you gave me on January 9, 2011 is still sure. We are still going to conquer. We will commit everything we have on this struggle but there shall be no violence. Justice is on our side. We have respected them enough, though justice may be delayed but cannot be denied.”
Meanwhile, a group, the Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Group, has blamed Obasanjo for the recent comment by President Goodluck Jonathan that the South-West should not be left in the hands of ‘rascals’
Though the President had said on Monday that he was quoted out of context, the group said the comment was the outcome of how Obasanjo presented his kinsmen to him.
In a statement by its President and General Secretary, Dayo Ogunlana and Razaq Oloko-Oba respectively, on Tuesday, COSEG said the “President Jonathan echoed what Obasanjo whispered into his ears.”
The group added that it would be out of place for Jonathan to refer to Yoruba leaders and elders as ‘rascals’ in the presence of Obasanjo, “if he has not been dragging the reputation of our leaders in the mud in the presence of Jonathan.”
But the group expressed satisfaction in the way the South-West governors described as rascals were turning around the fortunes of their people, saying that “if a governor like Babatunde Fashola, who has been adjudged worldwide as a born performer is a ‘rascal’, then we need more ‘rascals’ like him in the country to turn it around.”
COSEG said an elderly person of Obasanjo’s status was expected to mentor the younger ones like Jonathan to mind their language when referring to a geo-political zone.
The PDP’s faction, believed to be loyal to Governor Gbenga Daniel, accused Obasanjo of injustice and high handedness.
The group also vowed to embark on a prolong fasting and prayer against what it described as an alleged injustice being perpetrated in the state.
Party supporters drawn from all the 20 local government areas in the state had converged at the faction’s secretariat as early as 8am and from there, proceeded to major streets in Abeokuta.
The development that let to heavy traffic across the metropolis, with commuters stranded at bus stops for several hours
The protesters moved round the major streets of Abeokuta with different placards with inscriptions such as “OBJ Going! Going! Gone,” “Judiciary, enough of kangaroo injunctions,” “Ogun PDP says no to OBJ,” and “OGD is our leader in Ogun”.
The group also criticised the non-acceptance of the list of the PDP’s primaries submitted by the faction to the Independent National Electoral Commission and denied it alleged plan to defect to another party just vowed to remain in the PDP.
The PDP’s State Chairman, Mr. Joju Fadairo, while speaking at the rally, described the crisis rocking the party as temporary, assuring the faithful that the party would rise above the present challenges.
He said he was optimistic about various court injunctions and expressed the hope that the position of the group would soon be validated by the courts.
He said, “Our coming here today is to tell them that we have not left the party, we are still in this party. I assure you we shall conquer all odds because we are the owner of the PDP. We are not going anywhere.”
The PDP governorship candidate of the faction, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka, who also spoke at the rally, expressed hope in the judiciary and insisted that he would not give up the struggle.
He said, “I want to assure you that the mandate you gave me on January 9, 2011 is still sure. We are still going to conquer. We will commit everything we have on this struggle but there shall be no violence. Justice is on our side. We have respected them enough, though justice may be delayed but cannot be denied.”
Meanwhile, a group, the Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Group, has blamed Obasanjo for the recent comment by President Goodluck Jonathan that the South-West should not be left in the hands of ‘rascals’
Though the President had said on Monday that he was quoted out of context, the group said the comment was the outcome of how Obasanjo presented his kinsmen to him.
In a statement by its President and General Secretary, Dayo Ogunlana and Razaq Oloko-Oba respectively, on Tuesday, COSEG said the “President Jonathan echoed what Obasanjo whispered into his ears.”
The group added that it would be out of place for Jonathan to refer to Yoruba leaders and elders as ‘rascals’ in the presence of Obasanjo, “if he has not been dragging the reputation of our leaders in the mud in the presence of Jonathan.”
COSEG said an elderly person of Obasanjo’s status was expected to mentor the younger ones like Jonathan to mind their language when referring to a geo-political zone.
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