The residence of a former Governor of Oyo State,
Senator Rashidi Ladoja, was a beehive of activities on Monday as two former
Governors of Osun and Ondo States, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Olusegun
Mimiko respectively, paid him separate visits as the crisis in the state
chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) unsettled permutations in
Ladoja's camp ahead of 2019 elections.
While Oyinlola, an arrowhead of the African
Democratic Congress (ADC), was with Ladoja as early as 9a.m., Mimiko, now a
Labour Party (LP) member, came midway into their meeting and was asked to stay
in one of the chalets pending the completion of discussions between Ladoja and
Oyinlola.
At the parley Ladoja held with his visitors were
three gubernatorial aspirants; Chief Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, Senator Olufemi
Lanlehin and Dr. Nureni Adeniran. Others in the two meetings were the former state
Chairman of Accord Party (AP), Alhaji Bashiru Lawal; a former Attorney General
in the state, Bayo Lawal, and PDP chieftains like Asiwaju Yemi Aderibigbe, Bimbo
Adepoju among others.
Last week, the National Working Committee (NWC) in
Abuja harmonised Oyo State PDP executives against the interest of Ladoja's camp,
and the former reacted with a seven-day ultimatum within which the party should
reverse the decision or they should leave the state PDP. The ultimatum elapsed
today.
The leaders were not forthcoming when journalists sought
to know what transpired as both Oyinlola and Mimiko said they were on private
visits to their brother, Ladoja. Their host equally rebuffed journalists.
However, a source privy to the meetings confirmed
that the former governors, having been aware of the crisis in PDP, came to woo
Ladoja to either ADC or LP.
The meetings were not unconnected with the permutation
of the major opposition parties in the Southwest ahead of the 2019 general
election, another source said.
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