Peace Restores As Adebutu Backs Olafeso For S/West Chairman

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2019 gubernatorial election, Hon. Ladi Adebutu has thrown his weight behind the candidacy of Dr. Eddy Olafeso as the Chairman, PDP South West zone at the forthcoming National Conference of the party.
Hon. Adebutu, who has finally taken over the leadership of the party after long battle with the late Senator Buruji Kashamu gave this support at the party secretariat, Abeokuta on Wednesday, whereby party leaders across south-west states were in attendance to lend their support for Olafeso and other zonal executives.
Leading the pack of PDP leaders was Dr. Ayodele Fayose, former Governor of Ekiti State, Chairmen of the party from Lagos, Ekiti, Osun and host state, as well as their state executives, and many other faithfuls across the zone.
The PDP Chieftain in his admonition at the event promised that his 85 percent of the party structure in the state would support Olafesos candidacy as southwest chairman, adding that his party structure has the majority in Ogun state, hereby ensure that he will emerge as the zonal chairman of PDP.
In the same vein, Fayose while addressing the party faithfuls who defied the heavy downpour to grace the event complained on the leadership style of the Oyo state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, whom he accused of tampering with the leadership of PDP in the zone.
The outspoken former governor known for his trademark of hitting the nails on the wood remarked that no one has the monopoly of interfering in the local politics being played across each state.
He said: “Governor Seyi Makinde has no right to interfere in the local politics being played in each south-west state, in spite of being a zonal leader of the party.
“Governor Makinde was a zonal leader of the party due to his position as the only governor in south-west states, and he should allow every state to be governed by its local leaders.
“I am eady to fight anyone that wants to take over the structure of the party in Ekiti from me, because I am the party leader there.
Furthermore, he confirmed that there have been a reasonable cold war of who and who becomes the executive of the zone. “Governor Makinde had demanded that the zonal executive be sacked and a caretaker be fostered on the zone which the party did. 
“But, since the caretaker committee came into being, he has not allowed them to function because he produced the chairman.
“Beyond that, the fact that there is a sitting governor does not say I should go to another man’s state. Nobody should come to my state; if you come to my state, I will face you squarely. I will continue to respect him because he is my brother, I love him so much and I was part of his emergence.
“Being a leader does not give you power to go and manage another state. Every state has its own leader, but by recognition and respect, whosoever is the governor is a leader.
“When I was the governor, I was the leader, but nobody came out and said I was ruling their state or I was picking people from their state. You cannot pick people in my state, the moment you support any faction in my state, we have to face you.
“There is a level of respect a leader must have to continue to be a leader. So, the moment you cross that line, we are going to look into your eyes. We are professional when it comes to that, I am not somebody that will hide to fight, I will fight you in public.”