Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Former Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP in Ondo State, Hon Leye Igbabo has challenged the party to tell the public what strategies it had adopted to strengthen its role as the main opposition party in Ondo since it alleged him of “disloyalty, poor coordination and tendency to prioritize self promotion over party unity”
The former media scribe raised this concern on a program today at Fresh 102.9fm radio station anchored by a notable presenter, Ifeanyichukwu Abe.
Igbabo said “They alleged me of disloyalty, poor coordination and tendency to prioritize self promotion over party unity. Now, I want to ask: what strategies have they put in place to strengthen the party’s roles as a major opposition party in Ondo State in the last three months?”
“But the people know that as soon as I took over the department after the resignation of Hon Kennedy Peretei, I did a lot to improve the efficiency of the dept through a line of activities. I held meetings with categories of people like the LG PROs, committed young leaders under the CYLi-PDP, online platform owners, NUJ and others, and these strategic meetings actually improved the efficiency of the party as an opposition party.
Throughout this period, the party did not release a kobo! I was using my personal money to do these assignments until I sought the support of some well meaning party members. We were issuing press statements to expose the inadequacies of the government and putting it on its toes and the party came back to life. But along the line, the Secretariat compromised and that is where they succeeded in stopping the flow.”
“I don’t really know how they arrive at the issue of poor coordination or prioritisation of self promotion because the letter they wrote to me stopping me from further performing, had the first two paragraphs praising me and assuring me of bountiful rewards in due course until they tactically sneaked their agenda into the third paragraph of the letter by requesting me to seek approval from the SWC before I engaged in any publicity job henceforth!”
“But if you said someone was poorly coordinating, then you should have done something better to prove the inefficiency of the one you alleged. Since three months ago, the PDP has become practically inactive, failing to simply question the ruling APC over clear maladministration in the State.”
“A kindergarten pupil would have a lot to say about the inefficiency of the present administration. But who is talking on behalf of the opposition party since then? Nobody! And that is the party that is accusing someone of poor coordination!”
“At the venue of the just concluded State Congress, a name was hurriedly announced as the State Publicity Secretary just to cover up their lack of sincerity. Unfortunately, the person rejected the offer citing deceit and they had to give the position to another person”
“Now that the party has concluded its State Congress since last Saturday and a new Publicity Secretary already inaugurated since then, don’t you think that a serious party would have directed the State Publicity Secretary to hit the ground running immediately? So what’s delaying the new Publicity Secretary from performing his roles since, knowing fully that the party has lost so much ground in the last three months?” Igbabo queried.
“The Secretariat should have come out to tell the world how it compromised the party thereby leaving the ruling APC to do whatever it pleases. Invariably, the newly inaugurated State Chairman appeared to be a complete gentleman. How he would operate freely under such a situation, is something that worries me right now. We should have brought on board a tough man because the situation requires *were la fi n wo were approach.* That is why I insisted the party is still being operated by conmen” Igbabo retorted.
On the allegation of extension of an option to honourably resign, Igbabo challenged the party to name its particular organ which gave such an option.
“We have different party organs that are assigned to perform different roles. The State Working Committee is in charge of the day-to-day running of the party, we have the State Executive Committee, Elders Committee, State Caucus and the rest. So he should mention which of the party organs that gave the options. Because there were no such options till I resigned, after all, he who alleges must prove.”
“The State Secretary had the opportunity to mention the particular organ of the party that offered the option during the program, but he was just going up and down without the specifics until the program ended. It is unfortunate that the party is now being administered in deceit” Igbabo regretted.
Asked if it was the entire leadership that had been compromised, Igbabo said: “No, we still have leaders with their integrity intact. They are not just party leaders, they are political leaders with an enormous wealth of experience”
“Unfortunately, the party has been subtly hijacked from them, by a mercantile politician who has, through, hypocrisy and rabble-rousing, got a link to the SouthWest Leader of the Party, H.E. Engr Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State. The man is surely a rabble-rouser and changes decisions every hour, making twenty four times a day. And because the party needs to be funded, the genuine leaders, most of the time, have no option than to flow along the selfish line of the trading politician. This is heart-aching” igbabo lamented.