A former member of the House of Representatives and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Honourable Godfrey Ali Gaiya, has said emphatically that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is the leader of the PDP in the South West.
Gaiya, who represented Jaba/Zango Federal Constituency of Kaduna State between 2007 and 2015 in the green chamber of the National Assembly said according to PDP’s constitution and guidelines, a serving governor without any debate is automatically the leader of the party in a state.
Gaiya, a former chairman, House Committee on Sports, described as unfortunate the friction being witnessed in the South West PDP.
He said Makinde’s leadership of the party in the entire South West zone is automatic which has nothing to do with his age or the time he joined the party.
Gaiya added that Fayose challenging a serving governor’s leadership of the PDP in the region is tantamount to putting personal interest above party constitution and guidelines.
“The truth must be said that Makinde being a serving governor of the PDP from a region (South West) by every standard and every right if you follow our party’s constitution and the guideline is the number one stakeholder from the South West. He is a leader, a serving governor and this has nothing to do with age or who has been in the party before him. The truth is that he is there now and every party budget, funding and running from the South West must pass through Makinde.
“He is the only person that is like a father figure for the PDP in the entire South West zone and our constitution and guidelines are very clear about that. It says a governor is a leader of the party at the state level ” Gaiya told PMParrot during an interview in Abuja.
He added, “Simply put, a serving governor is a leader of the party at the state level, same at the national level. If we have a president of the PDP extraction, he is of course the national leader of the PDP and when he leaves office, he becomes the Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman if we are to follow our party constitution.
“So, it will be wrong for anybody who has served out his tenure and is no longer the governor of a state in the South West to say that the man who is a serving governor is a small boy and be asking when he came to the party. As I said, leadership has nothing to do with age, with ego but with the PDP guidelines and constitution. If Makinde is a governor and the only for our party in the entire South West zone, he should be accorded every privilege and every right for being a leader of the party in the zone.”
The former federal lawmaker however called on members and leaders of the party nationwide and especially the South West to close ranks and work for the general interest of the party, saying that the 2023 general elections are fast approaching.
Packaged by Taofeek Lawal, Abuja
