A unification rally was held at Ado-Odo Ota in Ogun state on Wednesday by two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, aka Lado Group and Senator Kashamu Buruji, aka Omo Ilu Group in the state.
The unification rally is aimed at ensuring unity and cohesion in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government, Ogun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) towards the 2019 general elections.
Speaking to journalists at the rally, Chairman of Lado Faction in the local government, Alhaji Kabiru Salako said that the two factions had been working separately in the local government, but that the PDP is one.
“The leaders of the PDP in Ado Odo Ota feel that we are one and we can work together. We told our people that we need to come together and we call the rally “Unification Rally.”
“We want the people to know that the PDP in Ado Odo Ota is now one and we are working towards winning in the 2019 general elections. We have agreed and we have signed an MOU that we will collapse into any group that wins the election,” he said.
The factional Chairman revealed that the factions would abide by the ruling of the court, which is expected before the end of January, 2019, and that the PDP is already an accepted party in the state.
This was corroborated by the Chairman of Omo Ilu faction in Ado-Odo Ota, Hon. Monsuru Oloyede, who said that the “Unification Rally” was meant to unite the PDP in the local government.
“The people out there want the PDP. We are all members of the PDP. What we want is for the PDP to win the 2019 elections.
“We want the PDP to rule the state because the level of poverty of our people is much. We want to start from somewhere, others will join us later,” he said.
Also speaking at the rally, the apex leader of the PDP in Ado-Odo Ota LG, Hon. (Chief) Alani Akinde stated that there had been problems amongst the Ladi Adebutu and Kashamu Groups of the party in the state.
Akinde added that the rally was a product of an earlier meeting, but that they wanted the people to know what was going on, which he said was why the rally was organised, and that it would soon spread all over Ogun State.
In his view, the House of Representatives candidate of the party from the local government under Lado Faction, Alhaji Sikiru Mustapha said that a house divided against itself could not stand.
Mustapha stressed that they wanted to avoid what happened in Osun, Ekiti and Ondo State, where he said that the PDP lost to the All Progressives Congress (PDP) due to disunity and infighting.
It will be recalled that the Adebutu and Kashamu factions have been on the way path over the candidates for all the elective positions in the state.
The case is currently before a court of competent jurisdiction, which will determine the authentic faction between the two for the 2019 general elections.
However, a meeting was held between the two factions in Ado-Odo Ota at the residence of Chief Alani Akinde on Wednesday 26th December, 2018.
It was gathered that the leaders of the two factions agreed to unite so that the PDP could win the two assembly constituencies in Ado-Odo Ota, the House of Representatives and the Ogun West Senatorial seat, which Omo Ilu Faction zoned to Ado-Odo Ota, and which Ladi Faction zoned to Yewa South.
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