Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2015 elections in Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde has declared that the visit of National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi to the state was a signal for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pack their belongings out of the government houses.
Makinde spoke when he received Makarfi and top stalwarts of the PDP at his Ikolaba Ibadan residence on Thursday.
Those who accompanied Makarfi to Makinde’s house include Senator Abdul Ningi, Hon. Dokun Odebunmi, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Professor Jerry Gana, Dr. Saka Balogun, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, Senator Hosea Agboola, Hon. Muraina Ajibola and Hon. Mulikat Adeola among others.
Makinde while speaking said that the visit of the stalwarts was a good signal to the ruling party to pack their loads at the federal and states levels.
He said, “It is a signal to the ruling party that they should pack their loads out of the government houses.
“Imposition forced us to leave PDP in 2015, we informed the national leadership but they did not listen to us and the chairman has said that all that has become thing of the past.
“There are still discussions, the issue of internal democracy, the issue of impunity, it is the conditions to be meet.
“I have been a part of efforts by Professor Jerry Gana talking to us in SDP, we have been concerned, been talking, like I said from 2002 I have been in PDP before the 2003 elections and I worked for my father Senator Rasidi Ladoja.
“PDP is our natural habitat, we went back to PDP in 2015 because that is our natural habitat.
“In 2015, I also tried to contest in PDP, I had to leave again. Why is because national executive at that time also refused to give us a level playing ground at that time.
“What I want is that guarantee of internal democracy. PDP is my natural habitat, I can say I am 99 percent in PDP.
Makarfi had earlier told the gathering that the visit to Makinde was a continuation of the PDP reconcilatory move to ensure former members of the party are back and woo new members.
He said “This is a continuation of our interaction, even before we came, I believed Professor Jerry Gana had meet some leaders including Chief Olu Falae and we have been talking on how move forward, for consolidation for the sake of Nigeria and Oyo State.
Makarfi then condemned the spate of insecurity, inflation, bad governance and unemployment saying Nigeria belongs to everybody and not only the APC.
He said ” All kinds of insecurity in parts of the country, Nigeria belongs to all of us, there is a need for democratic leaders to come together.
“We have learnt our lessons, our aim is to have internal democracy”.
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