A Chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adetokunbo Pearse, has urged former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State to sheathe his sword against Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to strengthen the party in the Southwest.
Pearse made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.
Fayose and Makinde have been embroiled in controversy over the leadership of the Southwest chapter of the main opposition party in Nigeria.
“The party at the southwest level is having problems mainly because of Fayose,” Pearse said.
“We aren’t saying Fayose has no right to aspire to have officers in the Southwest that’ll support him, but it should be done fairly, respectfully, and we should work within the democratic process.
“Setting people up against Makinde and calling him names isn’t good for the party that wants to win an election.
“We shouldn’t act like children at this time. My advice is for him to sheathe his sword and let us sue for peace, be cordial in the way we deal with our leader who is Makinde now in the Southwest.”
Pearse, a University of Lagos lecturer, said that the lingering crisis would send many away from the PDP and further dim its fortune in future elections.
He noted that an unnecessary crisis among leaders of the PDP would further send many away to the ruling party.
He said, “It’s obvious that by conventions and common sense and in fairness to Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo, being the only PDP governor in the zone, he is its leader in the zone.
“This is what happened when Fayose himself was the only PDP governor in the zone before former Ondo Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko joined him.” (NAN)
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