Adebutu: We’ll resist any imposition of candidate in Ogun, says PDP

OBIORA IFOH, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against attempts to impose candidates in Ogun State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as it will be firmly resisted by the people.

The party also called on INEC to immediately obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal of December 18, 2018, and without further delay reflect Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s name on the ballot as its governorship election in Ogun state.

National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media & Publicity PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement on Thursday said, “The PDP states that Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s name was duly and statutorily submitted to INEC after he won the governorship primary conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC), the only body empowered by law to conduct such primaries. The PDP has not substituted his nomination with anybody and such is not in our contemplation.

“The PDP charges the INEC Chairman to note that since the ruling of the Court of Appeal validating Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun state, no other court, not even the Supreme Court has over turned that extant ruling.

“INEC is therefore compelled to obey the law. It cannot choose for itself which judgment to obey and cannot operate in waiting, anticipation or contemplation of a non-existent consideration in the conduct of the Ogun governorship election.

“In this regard, the PDP urges all Nigerians, particularly the people of Ogun state, to completely disregard certain individuals, including Senator Kashamu Buruji, who has been making misleading comments and trying to create an impression that the Supreme Court has made a pronouncement on the issue.

“Moreover, the PDP holds that Senator Buruji cannot under any imagination be the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun state. He is not a member of our party; he did not participate in our Ogun state governorship primary and has no connection whatsoever in our governorship nomination process at any level for that matter.

“INEC cannot go to the streets to pick a candidate for our party. It must therefore, in compliance with the extant judgment of the Court of Appeal, immediately reflect Ladi Adebutu’s name in the ballot, otherwise Nigerians will have no other option than to conclude that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has become compromised to cause confusion and anarchy in Ogun state.

“Finally, the PDP appreciates the people of Ogun state for rallying behind our candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, as he continues to consolidate on the consensus already reached by the people to freely give him the mantle of leadership of their state come March 2, 2019.

“The PDP therefore cautions certain manipulators in INEC as well as fifth columnists, who are being funded by anti-democratic forces to destabilize our party in Ogun and cause trouble in the state, to desist from such acts as they will be firmly resisted by the people. ”

For a better society