Posted by By Simon Ateba on
A 72-year-old Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain in Lagos state, Chief Tunde Coker, has called on the leadership of the party to dissolve its state chapter or be defeated by the ruling Action Congress, AC, for the next 50 years.
A 72-year-old Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain in Lagos state, Chief Tunde Coker, has called on the leadership of the party to dissolve its state chapter or be defeated by the ruling Action Congress, AC, for the next 50 years.
Chief Coker, who attended governor Babatunde Fashola's naming ceremony in Lagos Island in 1963, reasoned that with the current crop of leaders in Lagos PDP, the party is doomed to fail in all elections that will take place in the next 50 years in the state.
He explained that the party is divided against itself and cannot stand the test of time. 'Lagos state PDP has to be completely dismantled. The problem is that the PDP state leadership does not appreciate the efforts made by grassroots members. So many of them spent so much on campaigns across the state and the party did not refund their money even after cancelling election only two days to the contest,' Pa. Coker said, during an interview at PM.News corporate office in Ogba, Lagos.
He condemned the party leadership for cancelling the local government election only two days to the contest, but acknowledged that the PDP would not have won even if it had contested. He advised PDP members not to 'waste their time' in court to seek redress.
'I want to use this medium to appeal to them (PDP) not to waste their time going to court. Let's not deceive ourselves. Here are people who at first said they were going to contest the election only in the 20 Local Government Areas. And that they were not going to contest in the 37 Local Council Development Areas. All of a sudden, the so-called leaders woke up in the middle of the night and decided that they will now contest in both LG and LCDAs.
' And then two days to the election, they called their members and ordered them not to contest again. They are a pack of unserious people. The earlier we get rid of this bunch of time wasters, the better,' he said. He advised the National leadership to refund those who spent so much during the campaign and reconcile the warring factions if the party wants to get back to its feet.
Chief Coker also said that since the death of Funsho Williams, a PDP chieftain in the state, in 2006, the party has been in disarray. He added that governor Fashola has done, in less than two years, what many governors did not achieve in many years.
He, however, advised the governor to remain focused, adding that 'we pray that he will get on in life.' Remembering Fashola's naming ceremony in 1963, Pa Coker said: 'Demola, Fashola's father, was my colleague in Daily Times Newspaper. We were both journalists. I later went to work for the West African Pilot.
'Incidentally, I had my own child the same year, a daughter, Yeside Coker. She is now in Canada. The naming ceremony of Fashola took place on Lagos Island, at Isale Igangan street.
'Fashola was like any other child. His grandfather was a very strict man. In fact, we never knew that they were muslims. A lot of people attended his naming ceremony. Ben Lawrence was there. Ajibade Fashina Thomas also attended. Bunmi Ladapo, one of the retired supreme court judges, was also there. On that day we never knew that he will become the number one citizen of the state.
'His father, Demola, is still alive but he now lives in Surulere. I can't say how many wives he had, but I can remember that Fashola was his first son. I'm happy that Fashola has now become the governor and what he is doing is there for everybody in the country to see. ' We all have to be grateful that he is doing what he is doing. Lagos will soon be the London of Africa if he remains focused.'