By Olusegun Hakeem Adebumiti, Akure.
The PDP convention is climaxing today Sunday, October 31 in Abuja at the Eagles square.
There had been initial fears over the convention after the party’s erstwhile Chairman, Uche Secondus filed a suit at an appellate court against his removal from office.
But the appellate court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday ruled that Secondus did not disclosed a legal right to be entitled to the prayer for grant of an injunction and that the balance of convenience is against the grant of the Appellant’s application. The Motion was consequently dismissed.
With the Court pronouncement, the PDP, was then empowered to proceed with its National Convention.
For the Ondo State delegation at the convention, it was a time for reunion.
Former Governor, Olusegun Mimiko had earlier in the week on Thursday announced that his party, the ZLP would be fusing into the PDP. This was after meeting with Four PDP Governors, led by the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.
At the Ondo State stand, it was a day for Mimiko to reunite with Eyitayo Jegede, his former Commissioner for Justice and two-time candidate of the party in the Governorship elections held in the State in 2016 and 2020.
There have been criticism and counter-criticism since the news filtered in that Mimiko would be returning to the PDP, barely a month ago.
Supporters of Jegede had expressed displeasure over the return of Mimiko to the party, with one of them threatening to take legal action against the former Governor if he joined the party.
Jegede is largely seen as the leader of the party in the State having held its members together for over Four years since his first emergence as the PDP Governorship candidate in 2016 under the Mimiko administration.
But Mimiko is back in the party with his political structure. Political observers said the mood at the PDP convention on Saturday when Mimiko and Jegede reunited even hugging each other, is a pointer that peace is inevitable in the fold of Ondo PDP.
Others at the convention were Mimiko’s political leader and erstwhile antagonist, Chief Segun Adegoke; former deputy Governor, Omolade Oluwateru; former reps member, Debo Ologunagba; former PDP Chairman, Clement Faboyede and current Chairman, Fatai Adams among others.
Adebumiti is the Publisher of Precision. Contact via Twitter @HakeemAdebumiti