Senator Tofowomo reconciles Bitire with PDP family in Okitipupa LG
August 28, 2021
- I’m grateful for this reconciliation, says Bitire
Sen. Nicholas Tofowomo, the Lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial District, has reconciled Hon. Solomon Bitire with the Local Government Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Solomon Bitire, a former local government chairman and a chieftain of the opposition PDP from Okitipupa LG was an advocate of zoning in the wake of the Ondo State Governorship election in 2020. He raised his voice over what he called political marginalisation against the Southern Senatorial District of Ondo State before the PDP’s primary election and he vehemently warned the party of the danger of producing a governorship candidate outside Ondo South before the election.
He was one of those at loggerhead with the PDP immediately after the party’s primary over issues arising from the fall out of the primary election.
Despite refusing to resign his PDP membership, Bitire didn’t hide his displeasure with his party and vowed to sit on the fence in the wake of the election if there is no proper reconciliation by the leadership of the party and its governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).
He was accused of anti-party activities by the PDP in his Local Government over his resistance voice against the party with many accusing him of working for Agboola Ajayi due to his closeness with Hon. Banji Okunomo, a former governorship aspirant of the PDP who officially defected to the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) to support Ajayi, the candidate of the ZLP.
Bitire’s action does no go down well with the leadership of the party in the local government. As a measure to sanction him, the party dissociated themselves from him and his supporters – a move that generated internal wrangling between him, his supporters, and the leaders of the party in the local government most especially leaders of his Ward.
On Thursday, August 26, 2021 in Okitipupa town, Senator Tofowomo waded into the crisis to sue for peace and reconciled Bitire with the PDP family in Okitipupa Local Government and leaders of his ward in Ode Erinje town.
At the meeting was Elder Amos Fadope, the party’s Senatorial Chairman in Ondo South and the Local Government party Chairman of the PDP in Okitipupa Local Government, Mr Adewole Dangote. Chief Oyedele Ibine, former State Scribe of the PDP in Ondo State was also in attendance.
The ward executives of the PDP in Ode Erinje town were also in attendance, among other prominent leaders of the PDP in Ondo South and Okitipupa Local Government who accompanied the Senator to the reconciliatory meeting.
Speaking to Starnews Nigeria on Saturday, Bitire appreciated the Senator for his timely intervention and reconciliation efforts in putting the PDP on track again in Ondo South.
According to him: “I sincerely thank Senator Tofowomo for this move and his reconciliation efforts to put the PDP on track again in Ondo South”.
“Honestly, I have nothing against this party except for my annoyance arising from the fall out of the primary which was not addressed because some people who met us at this party believed that we are nothing and irrelevant”.
“They treated some of us badly, and many of the leaders were not carried along in the scheme of things including our foremost leader Chief Eddy Olafeso and a sitting Senator who is today the symbol of the PDP in Ondo South.”
“They failed to reconcile with aggrieved leaders and power brokers which caused the failure of the PDP in Ondo South which is the stronghold of our party in Ondo State.”
“I have served this party diligently and I even went to jail in Olokuta because of the PDP. Since 1999, I have not resigned from my membership nor leave the PDP for any reason. Those who know me should understand my style of vetting anger and raising displeasure and after it is addressed through reconciliation, I move on, that is me.”
“In a nutshell, if I have wronged the party by my action, I apologise and for those who insulted me one way or the other, I already forgive them. I promise to discharge my roles in rebuilding this party and I want to appeal to the Senator and other leaders to extend this reconciliation to other aggrieved leaders,” Bitire said.
About The Author
About the Author: Starnews NG
Related Posts
FRSC seizes 222 trailers conveying 3,169 passengers The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) inter-agency task force has apprehended 222 trailers transporting 3,169 passengers across Niger, Bauchi, Taraba, and Kaduna states. The task force, established to curb the transportation of passengers alongside goods, aims to reduce road traffic accidents and associated casualties caused by the reckless conduct of trailer drivers. Corps Marshal Dauda Ali-Biu announced during a press briefing in Abuja that the initiative involves collaboration with various transport unions, security agencies, and traffic management authorities. “As part of the operations, the JTF dropped over 2,440 passengers who were mandated to take alternative vehicles designed for conveying passengers. “Since the commencement of the JTF on March 23, the monster of road traffic crashes involving trailers and the fatalities that come with them have been adequately tamed and the situation arrested on all fronts,” he said. Mr Ali-Biu added that the corps had gone a step further by prosecuting recalcitrant trailer drivers aside the conventional enforcement of traffic regulations. This, he said, was done through mobile courts in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. “Subsequently, more drastic measures, including suspension and withdrawal of the national driver’s licence, will be carried out. “Permit me to reiterate at this critical moment that, on our part, as an agency of government charged with road safety supervision, we have resolved to continue in our strive to make the nation’s highways safe. “Part of our resolve is to consolidate on the gains recorded so far through the strategic combat operations of the joint task force. “We have decided to sustain the tempo by extending the operations of the JTF to other critical corridors across the nation. “The essence of this extension is to give it a holistic approach,” the corps marshal said.FRSC seizes 222 trailers conveying 3,169 passengers The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) inter-agency task force has apprehended 222 trailers transporting 3,169 passengers across Niger, Bauchi, Taraba, and Kaduna states. The task force, established to curb the transportation of passengers alongside goods, aims to reduce road traffic accidents and associated casualties caused by the reckless conduct of trailer drivers. Corps Marshal Dauda Ali-Biu announced during a press briefing in Abuja that the initiative involves collaboration with various transport unions, security agencies, and traffic management authorities. “As part of the operations, the JTF dropped over 2,440 passengers who were mandated to take alternative vehicles designed for conveying passengers. “Since the commencement of the JTF on March 23, the monster of road traffic crashes involving trailers and the fatalities that come with them have been adequately tamed and the situation arrested on all fronts,” he said. Mr Ali-Biu added that the corps had gone a step further by prosecuting recalcitrant trailer drivers aside the conventional enforcement of traffic regulations. This, he said, was done through mobile courts in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. “Subsequently, more drastic measures, including suspension and withdrawal of the national driver’s licence, will be carried out. “Permit me to reiterate at this critical moment that, on our part, as an agency of government charged with road safety supervision, we have resolved to continue in our strive to make the nation’s highways safe. “Part of our resolve is to consolidate on the gains recorded so far through the strategic combat operations of the joint task force. “We have decided to sustain the tempo by extending the operations of the JTF to other critical corridors across the nation. “The essence of this extension is to give it a holistic approach,” the corps marshal said.
