The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken another turn, with the chairman of the party’s National Reconciliation Committee, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, declaring that his committee has successfully resolved internal disputes within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Oyinlola made this announcement following a crucial meeting with members of the NWC in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Oyinlola expressed relief that the differences causing tension within the party had been addressed.
“We have been able to resolve the differences that have been causing our party some headache within the National Working Committee,” Oyinlola said.
He emphasized that the outcome of the meeting was positive, bringing peace among key members of the NWC.
“We have opened up to ourselves and resolved to move on as a united National Working Committee, which is what we needed for the progress of our party, the PDP,” he added.
Despite the apparent resolution within the NWC, fresh challenges have emerged as a faction of the party has reportedly taken legal action in Zamfara.
A lawsuit was filed at the Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State, seeking to compel the party to hold its scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday, October 24th.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are asking the court to restrain the NWC, led by Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, from postponing the NEC meeting.
This legal move threatens to reignite the tensions within the party, even as Oyinlola and the Reconciliation Committee claim to have brought peace.
The PDP has been grappling with internal strife for months, with the leadership of the party deeply divided.
At the heart of the crisis was a series of suspensions among key figures within the NWC.
Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, had earlier suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.
In a dramatic twist, Ologunagba and Ajibade responded by suspending Damagum and Anyanwu, leading to a deadlock within the party’s leadership.
This stalemate was finally broken by the intervention of the PDP Governors Forum (PDP-GF), chaired by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
After a series of meetings with the feuding party leaders, Governor Mohammed called for a ceasefire and a return to the status quo.
The governors’ intervention appeared to calm the situation, paving the way for Oyinlola’s reconciliation efforts.
However, just as Oyinlola declared his committee’s work complete, the legal battle in Zamfara threatens to disrupt the fragile peace within the party.
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was appointed to head the PDP’s National Reconciliation Committee in a bid to resolve the numerous disputes within the party.
His efforts were largely focused on reconciling the differences within the NWC, which had been a major source of instability.
During Tuesday’s meeting in Abuja, key figures such as Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, National Treasurer Yayari Ahmed, Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeeq Arapaja, and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba were present.
These figures had been at the center of the leadership crisis, but Oyinlola’s efforts seemed to have brought about some level of peace.
Oyinlola, however, remained tight-lipped about the specific issues that had been resolved, stating that they were internal matters.
“I cannot be itemizing them for you,” he told reporters, referring to the disputes that had caused the division within the NWC.
Despite Oyinlola’s confidence that the party’s leadership is now united, uncertainty continues to loom over the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October 24th, has become a focal point for internal party tensions.
The plaintiffs in the Zamfara lawsuit, believed to be allies of Governor Bala Mohammed, are reportedly seeking a court order to prevent any postponement of the NEC meeting.
The five-count suit lists the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.
The legal action could potentially disrupt the reconciliation efforts and further divide the party ahead of crucial political events.
Despite the looming legal battles, Oyinlola is confident that his job is finished.
“I’m the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee. There were differences in the National Working Committee, and that I have done. My job is finished,” he declared after the meeting.
