*Rallies Support For Scheduled South-West Royal Fathers’ Conference
South-West Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George has advised members of the party in the zone to close ranks while efforts to return the south-west PDP into the mainstream of governance in 2015 are in top gear.
The former PDP National Vice Chairman South-west said efforts were on to bring together the leaders of thought and royal fathers in Yoruba land to a roundtable for advanced talks on how to re-position the south-west for full participation in the affairs of Nigeria through the PDP.
He said such efforts would be more meaningful with the full support of the Yoruba intelligentsia, politicians and artisans who, he said, are expected to be part of the quests for revival of the south-west and its politics.
The A’tona Yoruba, (Yoruba Torchbearer) however, dismissed insinuations about leadership tussle among the Yoruba leaders on the current efforts, stating that any well-meaning Yoruba leader will not get involved in such a tussle which, according to him, is meaningless, needless and irrelevant”.
He said, “We just put together a Unity Rally in Lagos which attracted a huge crowd of President Jonathan’s supporters from the south-west and other zones, during which the President, Vice President, the Senate President, PDP National Chairman and other top government functionaries were in attendance.
“For that rally, this needless tussle of leadership did not arise. It will not arise because there are no petty minds among the Yoruba leaders. In any case, petty minds don’t do great things. No. one will hear of any leadership tussle among us.”
The Co-convener of Egbe Iyipada Yoruba said this in Lagos during a chat with newsmen. He disclosed that part of efforts to re-cast the status of the south-west politics would crystalize in a Conference of Royal fathers in the zone to be held at the Oduduwa Hall of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife at the end of October.
He added, “It is heartwarming to know that the Yoruba Royal fathers have embraced the idea with eagerness to brainstorm over the affairs of Yoruba people and ready to give royal blessings towards repositioning the south-west during the conference”.
He said the forum, the first of its kind in the south-west, held a strong promise to amend the crack in the wall of the Yoruba, while it would also help the Royal fathers close ranks and begin to synergise their efforts in promoting their zone both politically and economically.
He also stressed, “What we are planning now will offer a silver lining in the efforts to promote the south-west in National Politics given the eagerness by President Goodluck Jonathan to have the south-west return to the center of power in 2015”.
Chief George said members of the Egbe Iyipade Yoruba (The Turnaround Team south-west) had been having sleepless nights to ensure that the summit would be a success.
He posited that:“Indeed, you need to see the wide ground already covered by the south-east and other zones in the present government to know the extent of marginalisation of the south-west. This must change in 2015 by the Grace of God. This is the reason we have not been resting on our oars. We must all come together for the purpose of ending this problem of marginalisation.
