The PDP has never hidden its intention to rule Lagos State, however, despite being the ruling party at the centre and controlling most states across the country, from the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, until 2015, when it was dislodged by an alliance of major political parties which gave birth to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party has not been able to rule the state.
The PDP, however, made significant success in the 2015 general elections in the state; wining six out of the House of Representatives seats and eight of the 40 state Assembly positions.
But since after 2015 general election, the party has been hit by protracted leadership crisis. It was initially between Moshood Salvador and Segun Adewale. Both chieftains had claimed to be in charge of the state machinery.
But the intervention of the national leadership of the party, however, culminated in Salvador assuming the position. Salvador, however, later fell out with his presumed godfather and leader of the party in the state, Olabode George. The crisis which was about sharing of executive positions eventually culminated in Salvador’s defection to the APC weeks to the 2019 general election with his supporters.
Political observers say the defection of Salvador affected the PDP chances in the general election and played a key role in the party’s dismal performance. It heavily affected the governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje.
The defection of Salvador, led to the emergence of Agboola Dominic as the chairman of the party in the state. Dominic had benefited from a power sharing formula between the Bode George-led faction and Aduke Maina faction.
While Bode George faction was to take 65 percent of the executive positions including the chairmanship, the Aduke Maina faction took 35 percent of the executive positions.
But agitation for a fresh congress started after the general election, with several chieftains of the party, claiming that Dominic tenure in office, which was for three months, had elapsed.
Agitation for a fresh congress and new chairman was ignored by Dominic who continued to lay-claim to the chairmanship position.
The agitation was led by Segun Adewale who called for Dominic’s resignation, alleging that he was duly elected state chairman and had the mandate to lead the party in the 2016 state congress.
The crisis led to the defection of some chieftains of the party to the APC in the last few months, notably among them being a former Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe and Kunle Okunola the party’s candidate for the House of Representatives for the Ikeja federal constituency, among several others.
As a way of resolving the crisis, last June the National Working Committee (NWC) set up a 3-man committee led by three chieftains of the party.
Senator Ben Obi is the committee chairman.
Apart from Obi, other members of the committee are Muktar Ahmed, as secretary and Senator Biodun Olujimi.
The committee, after meeting with all the stakeholders of the party, held a fresh election last Thursday for few vacant state executive positions which included the position of the chairman won by Deji Doherty, a former governorship aspirant in 2007, 2015 and 2019.
Speaking in an interview with BDSUNDAY, Doherty said his mission was to save the party from total collapse, restore its lost glory, while charging all members of the party in the state to wake up from slumber, redouble their effort ahead of the 2023 election.
“This is a new chapter of PDP in Lagos State with my election as chairman, it is time for work.
“I would work closely with leaders to turn the fortunes of the party around; all members should be ready for work, 2023 is just here,” Doherty said.
However, some chieftains of the party who spoke with BDSUNDAY on the election said that it was necessary to reposition the party ahead of future elections.
Tunji Shelle a former chairman of the party in the state said he supported the election because it was obvious that urgent action had to be taken to salvage the party.
“I supported the election and I voted as a delegate, Bode George is my friend, but this is about the future of PDP in Lagos State. We did poorly in the general election because of the same leadership crisis that we had. I want to believe that Doherty is matured enough to bring all the aggrieved leaders together and resolve whatever issues that we had coming to that election,” Shelle said.
Speaking in similar vein, another chieftain Segun Adewale said he supported the election because it was constitutional and needed to move the party forward.
“I supported the election; you know that since after the general election we had been in crisis; it was because of this leadership crisis that we performed poorly.
“We would work with Doherty to move the party forward ahead of 2023 elections, we can do better than we did in the last election,” Adewale said.
However, Femi Careena, a chieftain of the party, warned the Doherty-led state executive not to repeat the mistake of the past, he said the party should begin a process of reconciliation among aggrieved party members in the state.
“Doherty is someone who I have worked with closely and I know he can do this. Our problem is deep-rooted but it is normal in politics to have issues.
“I would advise him to begin the process of reconciliation of aggrieved members across the state. We may have performed poor in this year election but more elections are still coming”.
The election was, however, conducted despite an order by Oyekan Abdullahi of the Lagos High Court which had ordered that status quo should remain.
Reacting to the emergence of Doherty, Dominic the chairman loyal to Bode George, said the election was contempt of Court, stressing that the law would take its course.
“One is just surprised that some people who are expected to know better attended that show of shame,” he said.
From all indications, it does not appear that the election of new executive members would lead to the permanent resolution of the internal wrangling that has negatively impacted the umbrella party.
