Jonathan Pleads With Olagunsoye Oyinlola To Deliver PDP In Osun

A former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, on Tuesday met behind closed doors with President Goodluck Jonathan inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. In a move to resolve the crisis in its Osun chapter of the party with a view to winning the coming governorship election in the state.

As part of the strategy, President Goodluck Jonathan on ?Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with a former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, pleaded with the former governor to support the PDP during the election according to reports.

Oyinlola, a former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, was led to the meeting with the President by the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.

The one hour meeting was said to have discussed the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State and the disputed position of the PDP National Secretary, currently being occupied by Prof. Wale Oladipo. Oyinlola was removed when the party had dissolved it earlier constituted NEC following a court order.

At the end of the meeting, Oyinlola told State House correspondents that Mu’azu brought him to meet with the President on how to improve the party’s fortunes.

He also said he remained the party’s National Secretary in the eye of the law, describing “whoever is currently holding the office as a pretender.”

“I was taken to the Villa by the Chairman of the PDP, and we had some discussions on to how to move the fortunes of the party forward. All I am telling you is that Oyinlola in the face of the law remains the authentic secretary of the PDP. Anybody in that office for now is a pretender!”

He left the President’s office before Mu’azu.

Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress had recently visited Oyinlola in his home town, Okuku, with a view to wooing him into their fold.

The former governor was quoted as saying that his continued presence in the PDP would be decided by Jonathan.

PUNCH reports that a source, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said Oyinlola was asked at the meeting to support the candidate of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore for the governorship election.

He said, “The President pleaded with him to support Omisore and the party and also to help in the campaign of the party.

“The President told him that he would want him (Oyinlola) to be present at the party’s campaign when he would be coming in order to give an assurance that he is with the PDP.”

In response to the demand by Oyinlola that he be reinstated as the National Secretary of the PDP as ordered by the Court of Appeal, the President was said to have said that the issue would be looked into, reports say. 

The Osun state elections which comes up in August 9th has incumbent governor Rauf Aregbesola of the APC and Senator Iyiola Omisore as contenders.