Former governor of Osun State, Prince
Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his party,
Peoples Democratic |Party (PDP), are
about parting ways…for good.
The retired general believes President
Goodluck Jonathan does not want him in
the party even after going the extra mile
to prove his loyalty.
Oyinlola in a July 30, 2014 letter to the
President said he would not be doing
himself any good “if I don’t think seriously
about my political journey and take a firm
decision.”
The former PDP National Secretary
enumerated the various efforts he and
others including his friend and former
colleague in the army, Senate President
David Mark, made to reconcile with the
party and said: “I may, at this point, need
to look beyond the party and take my
destiny in my hands.”
The letter, 00/PDP/5, reads in part:
“Your Excellency, you are very conversant
of all efforts made by me and very
importantly, by respected leaders of the
party to get this matter resolved and truly
reconcile all aggrieved parties.
“I, however, learnt that you were not sure
of my support for you, given my closeness
to former President Olusegun Obasanjo
hence the decision to disallow me from
returning to my legally recognized
position as the National secretary of the
PDP.
“I have met you on several occasions on
this matter to pledge my loyalty. At my
last meeting with you, which was at the
instance of the party’s National chairman,
Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, you requested that
I be part of the ongoing Osun State
governorship campaigns. Mr. President
would remember that I stated that the
minimum the party leadership could do to
get me to campaign was to instruct the
Ogun State chapter of the party to
withdraw its appeal at the Supreme Court;
or alternatively, obey the Appeal Court
order, and allow me to resume duty, the
same way the party obeyed the faulty
Federal High Court verdict that ousted
me.
“To the foregoing, I wish to state that I
was promised some positive response
which never came, up till this moment.
The Chairman of the party’s Board of
Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih CFR, has also
on several occasions, after discussing me,
met with Your Excellency on this matter
assuring you of my loyalty to you and to
the cause of the party.
“I am also aware that the Senate
President, Senator David Mark, GCON,
has similarly met with you and made a
case for my return to office. Senator Mark
went to the extent of asking you to hold
him responsible for all actions I might
take as National Secretary.
“Mr. President, allow me to state with
emphasis that what joins Senator Mark
and my humble-self is more than politics.
The military family that binds us does not
know double-dealing or disloyalty. A part
of our training, we keep our words, hence
we are called “Gentlemen Officers.” That
precisely was why the Senate President
could most frontally vouch for me.
“Your Excellency, allow me to also recall
that on three occasions, Senator Mark
informed that I had agreed to submit to
you a pre-signed resignation letter, if that
would allay all fears of insincerity; and all,
in a bid to ensure that the injustice of my
illegal removal from office is redressed.
“I wish to respectfully state that I do not
go back on my words, just like I don’t
abandon my friends, associates and
leaders, no matter how hard the situation
might be.
“That explains why as a State Governor, I
remained very loyal to my boss, former
President Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR, even
when he had some issues with the
government of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, I wish to respectfully recall
very respectfully, that Chief Obasanjo
never made any attempt to move against
me on account of these differences.
“The same spirit today drives me as I
maintain my loyalty to former President
Obasanjo, who may, or who may not have
any relationship with your government. It
was that same spirit that made me insist
on your approval of my candidature, in
your capacity as national leader of the
party and president, before I agreed with
my brother-governors request in 2012, to
contest for the position of PDP National
Secretary. I should like to state that I am
not a fair-weather fellow. To my friends,
the spirit is very similar to marital vow.”
Oyinlola said it was unfortunate that
President Jonathan was unprepared to
listen to entreaties by party leaders on his
behalf.
He added: “Mr. President, I wish to
observe that with all these efforts by me
and other credible leaders of our party, it
appears clearly to me that you are not
totally convinced that I am who I have
always been in my journey through life.
“I have, therefore, come to the conclusion
that it is this mindset that is at the root of
my challenges in PDP. It seems to me that
I am not wanted by the national leader of
the party; and I know that.
“Therefore, I will certainly not be doing
myself justice and good, despite
everything, if I don’t think seriously about
my political journey and take a firm
decision.
“Mr. President, I may at this point, need
to look beyond the party and take my
destiny in my hands. I sincerely hope that
this will solve the problem.
“Conclusively, Your Excellency, if I am
doing the above and take further steps
without telling you, I would be negating
the pledge of loyalty which I had earlier
made to you; hence this correspondence
to Mr. President.”
Title : Oyinlola Writes Jonathan, Offers To Quit PDP
Description : Former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his party, Peoples Democratic |Party (PDP), are about parting ways…for good. ...
