Date: 2018-01-15

Being a speech delivered by Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, the Kwara State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Unity Peace meeting of the critical Stakeholders of the party held at the Kwara State Party Secretariat on Monday 15th of January 2018.

Courtesies

I am very happy that a new Chapter is now opened in the life and affairs of our party. With the conclusion of the congress of the 13th day of November 2017 and with the recent recognition of the outcome of the election by the National Working Committee, National Executive Committee and the Convention of our Party, a new Chapter of progress should be opened in our Party. We have fought for too long and really by now ENOUGH SHOULD BE ENOUGH. Since the departure of those that used the platform of this party to ventilate their ambitions to govern this State and later destroyed the Party by carting away the human and material resources in 2013, we have not sat done to build PDP in Kwara State. We thought that the big size, national and international image of the Party without more was enough to win elections in any State of Nigeria. We thought that a national Party in power at the national level could win elections even if we refused to be properly focused and organized. We have painfully learnt our lessons for not only did we lose elections in many States of the federation in 2015; we equally lost the presidency to the opposition. At the departure of those that carried the government, party structures and members of our Party away in 2013, we ought to have embarked on massive reconstructions of this Party in Kwara State. We did not do that. We instead started building individual ambitions with complete disregard of the structure that can support and sustain such ambitions. We are all witnesses to our abysmal failure in the elections of 2015. Part of what we left undone was building a Party that can win elections before erecting the alter of ambitions.

Bi omode ba subu a wo waju, sugbon bi agbalagba ba subu a wo ehin- meaning if a child falls down instead of looking to observe the cause of the fall he will still continue to move on. It is not so with the elders that falls, with wisdom he will look back to study the cause of the fall. After 2015 elections we did not sit down to study the reasons for our failures. If we have not done this, we behave like a child who fails to be guided by experience. After the failure, we did not sit done to discuss but rather we were ruled by hatred for one another. After the failure, the Party was divided into two irreconcilable camps of those that wanted the State Executive to continue and those that were irrevocably committed to its dissolution. To some, it was the State Executive that failed us in those elections while the other faction held to the belief that we were all culpable. The Executives that ought to be constitutionally be in place for four years were forced to face mid-term comprehensive election in 2016. What we left undone was to have been patient enough to allow the 2014 Executives to exhaust their tenures which would end in the Month of April 2018. We had to go to needless elections in 2016 and 2017. The outcome is where we are now.

Let us collectively count the costs of the Party crisis that lasted for two years and eighth months. Let us count the costs in terms of risks, time and money wasted on needless journeys, money and time wasted on congresses, needless money wasted on congress officiating officials, money for regular purchase of forms, tension and anxiety generated by congresses. Then what about the mistrust and crisis of confidence generated among the Party members. We worked or induced the Party members in each of the groups almost to a genocide level of hatred. At that level, reasonable reasons do not matter; venom of hatred ruled the Party environment. Curses, thuggery and violence were unleashed on members of the same Party that ought to work together to achieve a common purpose of winning elections. And what was the cost to us in the minds and the psyches of those that want to vote for us, finance our programs and indeed want to join the membership of our Party? We were perceived as a crisis ridden platform on which much hope of liberation must not be invested.

But during the time of crisis too we kept the flag of the Party flying. The tensest period was when the Party secretariat was illegally sacked and occupied. If we had allowed violence for violence there may not be PDP in Kwara State today. When I was routed out of the Party Secretariat, I, with the wisdom of elders looked the other way. We shifted the place of operation of the Party activities to my private office. Our belief is that, it is not the Secretariat that makes an organization; it is rather the activities and programs of the organization that provides essence for it, political Party inclusive. Wherever I went during the pendency of the crisis, I carried with me the badge of authority of the Party. The authority of the Party is not in the Secretariat it is rather in the executive of the Party under the leadership of the Chairman. It was with that authority that we kept the flag of the party flying. Not even for one week did we stop our radio programs. We started with one radio station at Idofian even during the crisis we increased our radio program to two. Not only that, we, during the crisis embarked on State wide tours of the local chapters of the Party. There was no local chapter of our party that I did not go. We used the opportunity of the tour to explain all the programs of the Party to our members at the grassroots level. We even gave the financial accountability to our members at the local government level. When later some members mischievously accused us of embezzling the Party fund, their lies and blackmail could not fly as members of our party were already in possession of the truth. We also did a lot of work on holding Senatorial District mobilization meetings. That of the South was held at Ajasse-ipo and that of the Central was held at Afon, Asa Local Government Area. The one that was not held was that of the North. During the crisis period too, we held a retreat for all our State officials and four key members of the Local Government Executive. The outcome of the retreat was to be replicated at the wards levels. Some of our Local chapters actually replicated the training. It is indeed hereby ordered that this type of Unity Peace meeting should be replicated at all levels of our Party administration.

The meaning of our endeavour was that our party remained active during the time of crisis. We did not allow for dull moments during the period of the crisis. But for occasional radio programs of the other group and also some media outings, the public would not have been much aware of the Party crisis. Our activities doused the tension which remains the wisdom of God. The effect of our activities manifested in the good performances of our Party during the local government elections. If that election was not conducted by the compromising institution, called the State Independent Electoral Commission, there probably would not be a local government council not won by our Party. APC rigged that election in all the local government areas of the State. The popularity of our Party will continue to be in the strength and appropriateness of our messages and our programs. When a party has good vision and agenda those drawing back the hands of the clock will be seen as saboteurs and self-seekers. Even if we do not like the present drivers of our Party, if they have good vision, agenda or program with proper focus let us resolve to follow the agenda of the Party.

The meaning of this Unity Peace meeting is to bring together under our thick and expansive umbrella, erstwhile combatants in PDP, Kwara State. With this meeting today there should be no protection of factional interests again. PDP Kwara State Chapter becomes one today and we should strive to pursue and protect common agenda. Luckily we have a lot of work to do and all hands should be on deck. We shall therefore run inclusive administration. We shall hunt for talents that will operate in our various committees and we shall operate retail politics by having pooling units' officials. There will be absolute financial accountability and annual membership subscriptions in accordance with our constitution will be enforced. There certainly will be put in place a zoning policy on all our elective offices. No member of this Executive will be allowed to be conversers or promoters of Aspirants, especially the gubernatorial Aspirants. What we failed to do in 2015 that made us to fail should not be permitted this time around.

I hereby call on you and indeed urge all our genuine Party members and Leaders to put this crisis behind us in the interest of: our party, the people of Kwara State that earnestly yearn for a new lease of life, the future of the youths and our children that are in disarray as a result of uncertain future, Kwara State that has been plundered and abused for decades, the big names of Kwara origin that face constant embarrassment and insults outside the sores of Kwara and Nigeria and in your own interest who if we win in 2019 will be proud to belong to the Party in government. We have fought and winners have emerged and have been given the document of authority to pilot the affairs of this party for four years. Let us put behind us the disputations of the past as we roll up our sleeves and trousers to do the work that will make us win the 2019 elections. The only agenda here today is the way forward for PDP Kwara State. I hereby invite you to discuss this historic agenda.

Thank you for listening to me.