Oyinlola denies moving to APC
Embattled National Secretary of the ruling PDP says he is still in the ruling party.
The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has said he did not move to the All Progressives Congress, APC, with others members and governors of the New PDP.
Speaking in a telephone interview on the Raypower FM radio programme, Political Platform, on Wednesday, Mr. Oyinlola said he remained the National Secretary of the ruling party as pronounced by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on November 6.
The New PDP, which was floated last August 31, fused into the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, after a meeting of the leaders of the two groups at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge on Tuesday.
The two groups said they were merging to rescue the nation and its fledgling democracy.
Of the seven governors belonging to the nPDP, two of them, namely Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) have distanced themselves from the merger, saying they were still in the PDP.
The four governors whose defection to APC has been confirmed are Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (kwara) and Musa Kwankwaso (Kano).
It is still not clear if Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state also defected as he was not in the country when the Tuesday meeting held.
Although he confirmed that he was at the meeting where the decision to team up with APC was taken, Mr. Oyinlola, who is also the National Secretary of the splinter PDP, said he would remain in the ruling party until a superior court upturned the November 6 judgement of the Appellate Court which reinstated him as the national secretary.
“My position is not in doubt. I have been the National Secretary of the PDP based on the judgement delivered on November 6 and until a superior court reverses it, I remain the National Secretary of the PDP. ” he said.
On the meeting with APC leaders, Mr. Oyinlola, who is a former governor of Osun State in the South West zone, explained that the nPDP had been having consultations with the opposition party before now, but that at the Tuesday meeting, some members of the splinter group decided to move on.
According to him, he was not part of those that decided to move to the APC.
He said, “We had consultations and we have been having meetings. Yesterday (Tuesday), some people decided to move on. I as the National Secretary have no alternative than to remain because the Court of Appeal said I was validly elected. Until a superior court reverses that I remain the National Secretary of the PDP.
“What I am telling Nigerians about this is that I was validly elected as National Secretary in March last year.”
Asked if holding meetings with the opposition would not amount to an anti-party activity, Mr. Oyinlola said “having conversations with political like-minds had nothing to do with his position,” insisting that it was not a sin for him coming out to clarify his position as others who attended the Tuesday meeting had done.
