Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has said there will be no reconciliation until the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, reverts to his position as deputy national chairman, North.
Kola Ologbondiyan said reconciliation can only work for the main opposition party if justice is served. He added that justice requires that the North Central produces the national chairman of the party.
Ologbondiyan charged the reconciliation committee headed by Olagunsoye Oyinlola to speak truth to power in the case of the acting national chairman.
In an interview with Daily Trust, the PDP chieftain said, “The reconciliation committee headed by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola must be courageous enough to tell Damagum that his position is that of Deputy National Chairman North and that nobody is saying that he must be removed from that position.
“But there can only be reconciliation and for reconciliation to endure there must be justice and that justice is to allow the North Central to produce a successor to Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
“Reconciliation is a welcome development but it must start from the office of the National Chairman, that is where it should begin from because you cannot say you want to reconcile and come out with a swat for your perceived enemy. At a time you are talking of reconciliation. It means that himself needs to be reconciled.”
Speaking on the disciplinary committee, Ologbondiyan said Damagun should be the first to be summoned and disciplined by the committee. He accused Damagun of taking sides in the Rivers State issue.
Ologbondiyan said, “The committees are good, but since Damagum himself has these issues around him, he should also present himself before the committee.
“At the inauguration, he hinted about his perceived enemies, so he needs to be reconciled. But mind you he is supposed to be the leader of the party, who is not supposed to take sides on any issue, but unfortunately, he said nobody can intimidate him it means he has perceived enemies.
“If the party that he is the acting Chairman has consistently said that those who left the party have vacated their seats and the Chairman and secretary wrote to the court to take a side between two members of the party. It means he has taken side.“