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Ex-National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has linked the defeat suffered by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election to his removal as the party secretary.
Oyinlola, in an interview with
Saturday PUNCH, also said he decided not to stay in the PDP and fight his removal as secretary because Jonathan had bought the idea that the governors that were threatening to leave the PDP over the internal issues were of no electoral value.
Jonathan later lost the 2015 election to Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the All Progressives Congress by N2,571,759 votes. The days preceding the 2015 polls were rancorous for the then ruling party, following the defection of five governors into the then newly formed APC.
Our ex-governors to woo new members to PDP Saraki
On
By Dirisu Yakubu ABUJA
Chairman, national reconciliation and strategy committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Bukola Saraki has assured the readiness of former governors elected on the platform of the party to bring in new faces as part of its rebuilding process in preparation for the 2023 general election.
Saraki who stated this after hours of a meeting of the committee with the former governors, Wednesday, also ruled out any possibility of the latter leaving the PDP for another party.
Briefing newsmen at the party’s secretariat, Saraki said having earlier met with former President, Goodluck Jonathan; it was only apt for the committee to interface with the former governors and hear their grievances against the party.
TODAY
February 17, 2021
Former President of the Senate and Chairman, National Committee on Reconciliation and Strategy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bukola Saraki, has said that former governors under the platform of the party are committed to the victory of the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
Saraki also said that although the PDP doesn’t make noise about who is joining the party, but many, even those, who left the party are coming back to join the PDP.
Addressing newsmen shortly after meeting with the former governors in Abuja, Saraki said, “yesterday we met with one of our former Presidents. Today we are consulting with our former governors who are key stakeholders and leaders in their states.
“We got assurance from them that they are not going anywhere. Instead, we are going to bring more people to the party,” he said.
“Look at it now, the turnout of the former governors at this meeting is two-third. It has never happened before. It’s a good sign and a good prospect for the party. They [former governors] were very frank on their grievances and that is what took us a long time.
“They told us what the issues are and we have taken note of those issues but they are not issues that are insurmountable.
“I am very happy, very encouraged because a lot of them have a lot of experiences and resources, but felt that they’re not as involved in some of the issues. And we’ve promised as a committee to keep them briefed, get them involved.