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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The factional National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Taminu TuraKi, SAN, on Saturday, paid a visit to the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, at his penthouse residence inside the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Turaki alongside former governors of Nigeria and Plateau states, Alhaji Muazu Banginda and Senator Jonah Jang; the BoT Chairman of the party, Senator Adolphus Wabara; the National Secretary of the PDP, Taofeek Arapaja, among other top leaders of the party arrived at the OOPL at about 11:38a.m and quickly went into a closed meeting with the former president.
Emerging from the meeting that lasted about an hour, Turaki informed journalists that the party leadership was at the OOPL to introduce the new PDP national exco to Obasanjo in order to solicit his advice.
He added that the visit was also to pay homage to the former president as a national figure in the country whose wisdom and experience is needed by the new PDP’s NWC.
Turaki, who described the meeting with Obasanjo as fruitful and inspiring, declared that PDP was more galvanized and reinvigorated to take over the mantle of leadership of Nigeria from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2027.
He, however, expressed confidence that the party would demonstrate its formidable comeback to Nigerians by winning the governorship election in Ekiti State scheduled for next year.
The former minister stressed that PDP under his watch would re-strategise and be repositioned to recover lost states and also clinch the presidency in 2027.
Addressing party supporters at the PDP secretariat along the Presidential Boulevard in Abeokuta, Turaki commended them for their resilience and patience, saying that the crisis in the party is now over.
He said Ogun was the first state in Nigeria the party leadership would visit after its emergence at the national convention of the party in Ibadan, Oyo State, assuring PDP members that the party had been reborn and fortified to take back its position as the preferred party of choice of Nigerians.
Turaki, who told party members that the new leadership of the PDP would not impose any candidate on them but allow them to choose their preferred representatives, urged them to continue to support the party, embark on massive membership drive and prepare to wrest power from the APC in Ogun come 2027.
Speaking, the BoT Chairman, Wabara, who addressed the party members in Yoruba language, said that the PDP has been rescued from the “hijackers” and handed back to the people who were the original owners.
He added that the new leadership would always give priority to the welfare of members and ensure that every one is carried along.
The new National Secretary of the party, Arapaja urged the PDP members not to be perturbed by the shenanigans of some party members who have worked tirelessly to scuttle the party.
Arapaja stressed that the party is back stronger, better and being rebuilt to a formidable force ahead of the 2027 general election.
In his remarks, the Ogun PDP Chairman, Abayomi Tella, said the party was ready and prepared to take over the mantle of leadership in the state, declaring that the ruling party would not be allowed to manipulate the 2027 poll as it did in the governorship election 2023 and the 2025 House of Representatives by-election held for the Remo Federal Constituency
Tella, who noted that the people are tired of the misgovernance of the APC especially in Ogun, emphasised that the PDP was better prepared to dislodge the ruling party in the next general election in the country.
