Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi West chapter, has adopted the recommendation by the “Strategic Committee on Election into Party Offices and General Election”, to zone the senate ticket of the party in the district to Yagba Federal Constituency.
In a communiqué issued after Kogi West PDP stakeholders meeting, the fifth in its series since the PDP rebirth following a ruling by the Supreme Court, validating the authenticity of the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, the party resolved that the senate ticket of the PDP for the 2019 election has been zoned to Yagba Federal Constituency.
The decision, as contained in the communiqué, was taken after members from all but one of the seven local government areas in the senatorial members voted in support of the committee’s recommendation. Only members from Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area voted against. Stakeholders from Lokoja, Kotonkarfe, Ijumu, Mopamuro, Yagba West and Yagba East aligned with the zoning.
At the meeting, about 1000 supporters of former Acting Governor of Kogi State, Chief Clarence Olafemi defected from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Led by a former Vice-Chairman of Mopamuro Local Council, Oyebode Makinde, the defectors numbering about 1000 from across the 10 electoral wards in Mopamuro Council were received by the Kogi West Senatorial District Chairman of the PDP, Taiwo Kola-Ojo during the party’s zonal stakeholders meeting, held at the City Hall in Mopa, headquarters of the council.
Alongside other notable chieftains of the party, Olafemi who was a speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, left for the APC at formation stages in the run up to the 2015 elections. The mass defection was believed to have contributed to the defeat of the PDP in the state by the APC in the November 21, 2015 governorship poll. The defeat ended PDP’s rule in the state after 13 years.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Makinde said, “I used to be a state officer of the failed party called APC but I am happy to announce to you that I have ceased to belong to that party, not just me, I have with me here six APC ward chairmen and more are still coming. Simply put, APC is dead in Mopamuro”, he said.
Makinde said the last two years of the APC led administration in the state emasculated those of them who contributed to building the party in the state.
He lamented a situation where those of them who formed the party in the state were turned to political orphans, and now being harassed, intimidated and insulted for no fault, other than the fact that they work for APC to win the state in the last governorship election.
He said their return to PDP has become inevitable signal the death of APC in the State, and the bidding of goodbye to Luga and signaled the death of the APC in Kogi State and the biding of goodbye by the Incumbent governor of the state.
Receiving the returnees, Bar. Kola Ojo, Chairman Kogi West PDP, welcome the returning members, commended them for coming back home now that the ovation is loudest.
Ojo described the APC led administration in the state as poison, have killed thousands of citizens in just two years.
Ojo said while government is about welfare of the people, the government in Kogi is concerned about inflicting hardship, pain, sickness, and death on the lives of kogites since its inception in January, 2016.
The Chairman assured the members of equal treatment, said under the PDP, everyone member has equal opportunity to attain their ambition and aspirations.
