The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kwara State on Monday inaugurated an 18-man Reconciliation and Engagement Committee to reconcile aggrieved members of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The committee has a former National Acting Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje as chairman.
Other members are 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 PDP Chairman in the state, Engr. Kola Shittu said the reconciliation committee is necessary to reconcile the various interest groups within the party and ironed out issues related to the loss of the 2019 elections in the state by the party.
Shittu added: “As we all know, the 2019 general elections had been won and lost with our party swallowing the bitter pill of losing in that 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 recognized that this must have brewed one issues or the other among varying interests who were actively involved in that processes. It is not unusual to find members of the Democratic party like ours engaging in arguments, contestation and divergent views which often leads to disagreements among stakeholders on 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 has meticulously identified respected party stalwarts who have proven to be men and women of integrity, including those who have had the 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 the party to see the constitution of the reconciliation committee as a therapeutic process that 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 very hectic work to do if we must claim back the mandates 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 counselled
Responding, the Chairman of the reconciliation committee, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje described the event as an epoch-making day 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.
Other members of the committee are Sheikh AbdulAzeez Uthman, Alh. Atanda Zoro, Mr Moses Awan, Alh. Adamu Gene, Hajia Sikirat 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.
Zainab Sa’id
