Son of late former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Jelili Omotola , Adetunji Adebola Omotola has indicated interest to run for the position of Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South Africa.
According to him, his experience and skills as a lawyer, communicator, with a broad and vast network in South Africa, Nigeria, Africa and beyond qualifies him to hold the position.
Reeling out his experience, Omotola said that he joined the party in 1999 and was Secretary of the party from April 2010 three weeks before President Jonathan was sworn in as President.
Currently a Board Of Trustee (BOT) member, he added that in 2011, he single handedly assisted in securing a ticket for a candidate in the Lagos House of Assembly elections in which the aspirant secured 10,000 votes .As Secretary he played a major role in deepening ties between PDP South Africa and its mother body in Nigeria and as a skilled communicator with a background in Finance, the idea of a shadow cabinet which PDP adopted in 2018 was first proposed by him and jointly presented to Professor Jerry Gana in 2017 by himself and the Deputy Chairman of PDP South Africa and the PDP House of Representative aspirant for Mushin in 2019.
Haven worked assiduously with the current Executive on various activities in the past five years and attended meetings regularly and contributed many ideas to the party and also the larger Nigerian community in South Africa and diaspora, it is his firm believe that he is the ideal candidate for the Chairman position.
Omotola talks about his plans if elected; he said: “ Firstly, my philosophy is From Apathy to Action. I believe politics must go beyond politics and translate into policy and action. I will bring policy direction and debate to PDP South Africa.
In my first 100 days as Chairman I will convene a rigorous debate on diasporan leadership and Ngeria’s poltical participation.
I will also conduct in my first 100 days a PDP jobs and businesses seminar. As Chairman, I will help members who so wish improve their knowledge intensity in order to build a stronger skills pool in our party through knowledge exchange seminars for members. I will also promote interventions which will help to bridge the gender gap in our party as well as narrow the inter-generational gap.
“I will mobilise new and existing members whilst also promoting the opportunities for members to access party members in other branches and structures in South Africa and back home.
I will convene the Chairman’s quarterly conversations between members and also other PDP diaspora members in diaspora and in Nigeria.
I will work to establish a PDP South Africa Youth League in order to make PDP South Africa attractive to students and young people below the ages of 35. The series of events will be undertaken in order to increase outreach and promote the reputation of PDP South Africa.
I will work speedily to create a PDP South Africa 2023 Diaspora committee to begin to support candidates seeking elective offices in Nigeria.
I will create a PDP South Africa Fundarising Committee by January 15, 2022 to mobilise resources through donations and sponsorship for candidates seeking to stand in the 2023 elections and also to fund PDPSA activities.
I believe all of the above will have a positive impact on our chapter, the party, Nigerians and Africans in general.
“I am confident that the above aims will have a positive impact on PDPSA because it will bring the party to a position of influence and boost its reputation and those of its members as well as the country by extension.”
-Ademola Alade