PDP vs APC: Makinde Worried By Defections, Says Nigeria Needs Leaders With Conscience

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Thursday declared that what Nigeria needs to move forward is leaders with conscience.

The Governor made the submission when he received the report of a seven-man reconciliation committee of the south-west Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Makinde while praising the committee for a job weldone however lamented that some PDP politicians including Governors and lawmakers had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) between the time the committe was inaugurated and when it completed its job.

The Oyo State Governor added that PDP must position itself as a credible alternative to the APC, noting that the report is coming at a good time as the party prepares for its zonal congress so the opportunity can be used to pull back aggrieved members.

He said “I want to thank the Reconciliation Committee for presenting the report. This is a confirmation that when elders are somewhere, they do not do their job halfway but they complete it. Actually, we have quite a bit to learn from our elders and from how you have done things in the past.

“Between when this committee was set up and now, I believe two governors from the party’s platform have defected to the APC.

“A number of our lawmakers at the national level; senators, members of the House of Representatives are defecting.

“So, this report is coming at the right time for us to go ahead, look at it and still try to pull our people together irrespective of the outcome of the zonal congress.

“The country, as a whole, is in dire need of men and women of conscience, who are thinking progressively about this country.

“That is why, a few days ago, the governors from the southern part of the country came together and, without thinking of party affiliations, we took far-reaching decisions in the interest of this country; in the interest of fairness, equity and justice for everybody in the country.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in Imo has called for peace following the suspension of six House of Assembly members in the state.

The spokesman of the party in the state, Cajetan Duke, stated this during an interview with journalists in Owerri on Thursday.

Duke in his reaction said the Assembly is “an independent organ of government”.

The party’s spokesman advised the suspended lawmakers to desist from acts capable of jeopardizing their public image and the legislative House.

He further stated that the party would not only respect the independence of the Assembly but also align with any decisions taken by its leadership.