Mr Olanrewaju Oshin is the chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikorodu Local Government. He is a veteran grassroots politician who has kept faith with the opposition party and ensured that it continues to exist in Ikorodu.
In this brief interview with Kunle Adelabu, the Publisher/Reporter – in – Chief of THE IMPACT, he bore his mind on the state of PDP in Ikorodu, its activities and why people of Ikorodu should support the opposition party to take over governance in Ikorodu and Lagos State among others. Excerpts:
THE IMPACT: Let just have a brief update on your party in Ikorodu because it seems that you are no longer in existence.
PDP Chairman: Thank you very much. At present, the PDP is still active and intact in Ikorodu. We are still very much alive politically. Our party’s secretariat at Olubi is active, and we continue to maintain our structure there. Our members are also active and engaged.
Naturally, people expect the PDP to always be visible in town because we are traditionally the main opposition party in the community. However, the current situation in the country and within the community has not been encouraging because many people are unhappy with the government in power. But despite that, we cannot allow frustration or grievances to push us away from politics. Instead, we must continue to educate our people and encourage them to participate politically. The only way to remove a bad government is through participation and voting.
Some of our members were initially affected by the crisis and divisions within the PDP, especially due to the court cases and the Supreme Court rulings. But as of today, stability has returned to the PDP. We are active again. We hold meetings every Wednesday, ward meetings are ongoing, and the party is improving steadily.
THE IMPACT: But is the division within the PDP not affecting the operation of the party, especially with the existence of different camps in Ikorodu?
PDP Chairman: Thank you for that question. This is not the first time a political party will operate with internal divisions or different tendencies. We are using that situation to strengthen ourselves and for mobilisation. For example, if Camp A has 100 members and Camp B also has another 100 members, at the end of the day they are all PDP members. Everybody is still working under the same umbrella.
Whenever we have party activities or major events, all factions still come together to project the PDP as a united opposition party. So, internally, we may have differences based on instructions from different leaders, but ultimately, we are still PDP members. A group may decide to work closely with the ruling government, but from what we are seeing, the current government under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not delivering the kind of leadership many Nigerians want. That is why we will continue educating the people and project our alternative vision. I believe there will be change.
THE impact: Now, looking at the APC, which has conducted membership e-registration, sold nomination forms and conducting their primaries, what has the PDP been doing in these regard?
PDP Chairman: PDP has also carried out its own nationwide e-registration exercise. We registered many members across Lagos State. In Ikorodu alone, we registered well over one thousand members. That alone shows that PDP is still strong despite all attempts by the ruling party to weaken or erase the opposition. In fact, people are joining us every day. New members continue to defect into the PDP because they are dissatisfied with the ruling party.
Traditionally, the ruling party usually conducts its primaries first. Even when PDP was in power years ago, opposition parties often waited until after our primaries because there would always be aggrieved aspirants looking for another political platform. That is why we are carefully planning our own primaries. Screening exercises are currently ongoing in all local governments. As we speak, screening committees are in place, and aspirants are being screened today in our local government. After that, within the next two days, we will conduct our primaries and officially unveil our candidates.
THE IMPACT: So, you have aspirants for governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly positions?
PDP Chairman: In Ikorodu at present, we have aspirants for the House of Representatives and House of Assembly positions. However, at the moment, we do not have a governorship aspirant from Ikorodu under the PDP. The aspirants we have will go through screening today, after which we will move toward a consensus process and officially announce our candidates immediately. We do not intend to waste time.
THE IMPACT: Lastly, what is your message to the people of Ikorodu?
PDP Chairman: My message to the people of Ikorodu is simple. The people of Ikorodu have always supported the PDP because they want good leadership and proper governance. Ikorodu deserves far more development than what it currently has. One of the major problems is the dominance of a one-party system, where people simply accept whatever is given to them without alternatives. Democracy works best when there is competition and accountability. If the PDP is given an opportunity, I strongly believe there will be massive positive change in Ikorodu.
I want to appeal to my brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and the youths of Ikorodu to support the PDP once again for the sake of better leadership and development.
THE IMPACT: Thank you for your time sir.
PDP Chairman: Thank you.
