The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has officially inaugurated an 18-member caretaker committee to oversee the party’s activities in preparation for the upcoming governorship election scheduled for November 16.
Naija News understands that the National Working Committee had established this committee for the state chapter last week.
This information was shared in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
The statement highlighted that the formation of the caretaker committee aligns with Section 29 (2) (b) of the party’s Constitution, with Bakita Bello, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, appointed as its chairman.
During the inauguration at the party Secretariat in Akure, the state capital, Kamaru Ajisafe, on Monday, the South-West National Vice Chairman of the PDP, encouraged the committee members to work diligently towards securing victory for the party in the upcoming governorship election.
Ajisafe emphasized that the committee members were carefully chosen with the expectation that they would effectively contribute to the party’s goal of regaining governance in 2025.
He said, “We painstakingly look at all the members of the newly inaugurated caretaker committee, and they are going to deliver. They were the product of due process, they are going to deliver, and we can assure you that we are all on the same page and all hands are on deck to make sure that we take over the governance.
“Now that we know the level of poverty and the price of foodstuffs in town, I wouldn’t want to believe that any person will want to vote for APC at this point. Nobody will want to vote for them. I trust my president, Bola Tinubu, will not do anything to truncate this democracy. What I’m saying is that direct fortification of result will not come up.”
In his address, Agboola Ajayi, the governorship candidate for the party, urged the members of the newly inaugurated caretaker committee to exert their utmost efforts in uniting all factions to secure success in the forthcoming election.
He emphasized that the public is keenly anticipating the party’s actions, and it is imperative that they do not disappoint them.
In response to the defection of several members to the APC, the party’s candidate characterized this occurrence as a typical aspect of political dynamics, asserting that those departing from the party are merely exercising their rights.
Nevertheless, he pointed out that while some individuals are leaving, a significant number are joining the party and are prepared to assume responsibilities.
Ajayi said, “My advice to the newly inaugurated members of the caretaker committee is to bring everybody together, to bring everybody together so that we can have victory in the next election. The people are waiting for us, and we cannot let them down.
“People decamping from the party is a normal thing. As some are leaving, more and more are coming in. Since 2009, this is the first time you will see the exodus of people from the ruling party decamping to PDP every day. Last two weeks, we were in Ikare, and six APC women leaders decamped to PDP. Yesterday I was at Ese-Odo. As a matter of fact, there is no APC there anymore. So if anybody is leaving, they are just trying to exercise their right, but I can assure you, no man is God, and I can tell you, anybody, that must have left, we will take their responsibility from where they stopped.”
In his speech, Bakita Bello, the chairman of the newly appointed caretaker committee, recognized that the path forward may present difficulties; however, the committee members are prepared to confront these challenges and will ultimately emerge more resilient.
He stated that the committee will strive to connect with every party member, including those at the grassroots level, to ensure that all concerns are addressed, thereby facilitating the party’s success in the upcoming election.
“The road ahead may be challenging, but I am confident that we can navigate these challenges and emerge stronger. We will reach out to every member of our party from the grassroots to the leadership, ensuring that every voice is heard and every concern is addressed,” Bello said.