By Steve Oni, Ilorin
The Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated an 18-man Reconciliation and Engagement Committee to reconcile aggrieved members of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Former National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, is the chairman of the committee that has Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, Alhaji Ishola Balogun- Fulani, Comrade Bisi Fakayode and Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed, among others, as members.
Speaking after inaugurating the committee at the party’s secretariat in Ilorin, the state capital, the State PDP Chairman, Hon. Kola Shittu, said the reconciliation committee became imperative in order to reconcile the various interest groups within the party and iron out issues relating to the loss of the 2019 elections in the state by the party.
Shittu said: “As we all know, the 2019 general elections had been won and lost with our party swallowing the bitter pill of losing in the elections. It is natural that this loss together with the pains that accompanied it must have left the party badly affected since 2019 especially when we are not used to it.
“The party leadership recognised that this must have brewed one issue or the other among varying interests who were actively involved in that process. It is not unusual to find members of any democratic party like ours engaging in arguments, contestation and divergent views which often lead to disagreements among stakeholders in some occasions, but our ability to forge a common goal and agreement in all these makes human of us all.
“It is on this note that the party had meticulously identified respected party stalwarts who have proven to be men and women of integrity, including those who have had opportunity to lead in several national party engagements and conferred on them the mandate to engage our stakeholders at different strata and reconcile them in order to strengthen the party more as we march towards another election period.”
He enjoined members of party to see the constitution of the reconciliation committee as a therapeutic process which cannot achieve its aims at one shot .
“It is important that we all accord them the full cooperation, patience, respect and honour they required to be successful in this assignment. Our people at this point must come to term that we have a very hectic work to do if we must claim back the mandate and trust of our people, we must examine the wounds of our 2019 losses and in the spirit of moving ahead to a better future, it is better to accept the past, forgive one another’s wrongdoings and thus facilitate reconciliation once the fact of what took place are clarified and acknowledged,” he counseled
Responding, the Chairman of the reconciliation committee, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, described the event as epoch making for Kwara PDP.
While acknowledging the enormous task before the committee members, Baraje assured the leadership of the party that they would do a thorough job and deliver on their terms of reference by making useful recommendations to the party leadership, adding that if fully implemented the 2023 elections would be a walk over for PDP in Kwara state.
Other members of the committee are Sheikh AbdulAzeez Uthman, Alh. Atanda Zoro, Mr Moses Awan, Alh. Gene Adamu, Hajia Sikiratu Anako, Hajia Ibrahim Masu Jenatu, Hajia Sarat Adebayo, Comrade Adefila, Mr S. B. Abdulraheem, Mr Sabi Musa, Comrade Muhammed Nurudeen, Mr Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode and Dr Ruth Abiola Adimula.
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