The Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party has kicked off a series of strategy sessions aimed at winning the 2015 governorship election in the state.
At a seminar, with a theme: Demystifying the power of incumbency, organised by the Alimosho Local Government chapter of PDP, leaders of the party said they had all it takes to defeat the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, but had suffered electoral losses due to disunity.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of PDP in Lagos, Capt. Tunji Shelle, said members of the party had gathered to weigh their options for 2015 governorship election in the state and identify factors that had sabotaged their efforts during election.
He said, “PDP has been in Lagos since 1998 but we have not won the state. We are here to find the cause of the problem. We need to be focused and work together as a team. I believe APC is surmountable.”
Shelle added that being the largest local government in the state, Alimosho was very strategic and pledged that the leadership of the party will do everything possible to support its members in the local government to ensure victory come 2015.
Guest speaker at the event, former Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Mrs. Titi Oseni, said PDP in Lagos and the most states of the South-West had been plagued by factionalisation and poor internal democracy.
She said, “One thing that is painfully true about our party, in Lagos State in the past years, is the undeniable fact that we lack cohesion, discipline, unity and therefore at every past election worked at cross purposes. We have prosecuted our electoral battles in the past as people at war against itself. The seed of this problem, in itself, is sown by insincere leadership. We run leadership structure that is incompatible with our political nature. Imposition of candidates and ‘take it or leave it’ attitude are quite contradictory and self-defeating in a political organisation where freedom and democratic ethos are created.
Oseni added that Lagos electorate have become disillusioned and they want change from the APC government “that is anti-people; a government that is intolerant of the people on the low rung of socio-economic ladder; a government that is waging war against the poor, rather than poverty.”
She also advised the Lagos PDP to reconcile all factions and embrace openness, especially when choosing candidates.
Also speaking at the seminar, former Minister of Works, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, stressed the need for unity in Lagos PDP, stating that the move to reconcile with former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bode George, would be in the interest of the party.
Ogunlewe added that there was need for the party to develop an effective house-to-house campaign strategy.
“Pick the candidate for the voters and not for the party. The question to ask is: who does the electorate love?” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of PDP in the local government area, Prince Ayodele Adelaja, welcomed chieftains of the party and hundreds of party loyalists who had gathered for the event.
Source: Punch
