…Says: “My 17 years in PDP were waisted years”‘
There is fire on the mountain. The People’s Democratic Party, PDP is on fire. Things are fast falling apart and the centre can no longer hold.
In PDP, things are no longer at ease. Even the Falcons can no longer hear the Falconer.
Just as Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike recently set PDP and its national leaders ablaze, through his vitriolic and poisonous verbal missiles, another deadly blow hit the Lagos State branch of the party when Prince Uthman Sodipe- Dosunmu, one of the few leading lights in the Lagos State chapter of the party and Chief Olabode George’s loyalist and confidant recently dumped the party to embrace the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its presidential candidates, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu (r) and Shodipe who seems to be saying,” I bow and trrible sir.”
Uthman Sodipe-Dosunmu, the “Olori Ekun” (King of Lions) of Olowogbowo area of Lagos Island was untill his exit, a notable stakeholder in PDP. He is a veteran and erudite journalist much sought after by PDP leaders for his intellectual capacity and organisational prowess. He was an intellectual power house and engine room of the Lagos State chapter and in deed, the entire South – West Zone of the party.
After 17 years of meritorious, selfless and commendable service to PDP, “Olori Ekun” resigned from his Ward A1, Lagos Island chapter of the party, declaring that it was “time to move on”.
There are germaine reasons why he moved on. In an exclusive chat with Society Mirror International Magazine, the extremely brilliant and intelligent journalist cum irripressible politician said he dumped the party he diligently laboured for and sacrificed his time and financial resources after 17 fruitless years with nothing tangible, politically to show for it.
According to him, ” the 17 years I spent in PDP were waisted years”.
He believes strongly in the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket and wants to contribute his own quota towards winning the 2023 presidential election.
The Lagos Prince and astute politician, sees his movement to APC as ” home coming” because at the earlier stage of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, he was one of its original members in Lagos State. The party under which Tinubu was governor for 8 years.
It will be recalled that Prince Shodipe-Dosunmu contested the AD governorship primary ticket along side Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Late Chief Funsho Williams, former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele and others. He came fourth among these political giants in the contest.
“If I had remained in Tinubu’s camp, I would have achieved more politically”.
Highly impressed by Tinubu’s impressive performances as Lagos State governor and his activities since he left office in 2007, Prince Sodipe-Dosunmu strongly believes that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are the best candidates for Nigeria in 2023 and they deserved to be supported by all well-meaning Nigerians, irrespective of tribes or religious affiliations.
Society Mirror International Magazine investigation revealed that the teeming political followers of the “Oloriekun” across the state are also set to decamp to APC.
In his speech, titled ” Why We Are Involved”, delivered at a Press Conference to officially annouce his exit from the main opposition party and unveil his Independent Campaign Group for Tinubu/Shettima Presidency, aptly tagged “The Patriots Round Table”, Prince Uthman Shodipe- Dosunmu, the National Coordinator of the group spoke further on why he turned his back on PDP and Atiku, and moved on to the All Progress Congress, APC to embrace Tinubu and Shettima.
” The Patriots Roundtable: Why we are involved
At every critical juncture of a nation state, all patriots must stake their purpose in the continuity of their country. All patriots must proclaim their position amid the conflicting national fray. All patriots must stand out, boldly identifying with some defining values and verities.
Here there is no straddling the fence. Here there is no distant indifference in the affairs of the state. There can be no plea of neutrality or gestural docility. There can be no self- eclipsing in the closet of the unconcerned.
This is why the Patriots Roundtable is involved.
The Nigerian Union is at a crossroads. It is weighed down by multifarious historical challenges and a bitter and pestiferous burden of the present.
There are hurdles everywhere. Voices are colliding in sometimes crude, fissiparous passion.
But we must move from the brink. We must withdraw from the destructive edge. We must steer towards compromise and the peace of the Roundtable.
Our position is borne upon necessary amity and accommodating fairness. Our guiding vision is about Truth and conscionable shepherding as the defining core of nation building.
This is the Patriots Roundtable leitmotif . Amid the holler and conflicting ideals about the Nigerian journey as our nation pivots towards the 2023 general elections , we have joined the fray to enlighten and guide, to contribute and support , to strengthen and enhance the national democratic space.
After thorough examination, sifting and sorting through the muddling melange of the presidential candidates and their ideals and promptings, we have decided to pitch camp with the Tinubu -Shettima ticket based on our vision and their vision about the indivisibility of the Nigerian Union , predicated on equity and fairness, resolved on a unifying accommodation of all members of our diverse Union, without favoritism to any tribe or sectarian recourse”.
He disclosed the Round Table modus operandi of achieving its aims and objectives.
” We will engage without bias. We will debate without malice. We will tussle in the intellectual fray of ideas and idealism with purposeful patriotic largeness”.
That is not all: “We will henceforth advocate with vigorous assertion as an Independent Support Group for Tinubu – Shettima dream ticket , ultimately believing that this dynamic duo is borne upon an inherent undying idealism that will heal the broken places, that will rectify the ancient wrongs, that will mend the wounds of old , and God’s willing , pull our nation out of the present variegated challenges”.
Prince Shodipe-Dosunmu knows that he and his group have set an enomous and a daunting task for themselves. In deed, he conscious of the fact that the road will be very rough and the journey quite turbulent. But they are determined to confront and surmount every obstacle on their way to achieving success. They will remain resolute, focused and refuse to be distracted.
” The journey ahead will be tough and tasking. There will be nay-sayers and malignant agents of envy and recidivism. There will be provocateurs of ruin pretending salvaging emblems.
We are ready. We are proven, steadfast , focused and firm, unyielding in this patriotic grapple.
May God bless this nation. May God bless the historic Ticket of Tinubu-Shettima”, he concluded.
…Kunle Solana
