THE lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District and a gubernatorial hopeful of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Buruji Kashamu has said that he is still very much in the state’s Guber race, contrary to some media reports.
Senator Kashamu insisted he never, at any time, backed down for his main challenger in the party, Mr Ladi Adebutu, as some sections of the media would want the public to believe.
The lawmaker had, in the past few months, been locked in a supremacy battle with the Lado Group, led by a member of the House of Representatives, Mr Ladi Adebutu, over the control of the state’s party structure and the governorship ticket.
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Clarifying his stance on the issue in Lagos, over the weekend, Senator Kashamu accused some sections of the press of deliberately misrepresenting the last statement he issued on the crisis.
The lawmaker explained that the statement was only meant to stress the need for every stakeholder of the party, in the state, including the two factions to work together in the overall interest of the party.
The PDP gubernatorial hopeful, who, again, expressed his readiness to work with other stakeholders to ensure the party’s victory at the polls in the forthcoming elections, stated that it was impossible for him to back down at this point when the case is still at the court.
“There was nowhere in the statement that I said I was backing down for Adebutu. It was definitely impossible for me to do that at this time when the case is still in court, and I remain the only guber candidate of the party, in the state, recognized by INEC.
“What I was only preaching was the need for every stakeholder, including the factions to work together, to enable the party emerge victorious at the forthcoming polls.
“I believe the party is supreme. We politicians are like soldiers, while the parties are like the barracks. The fact remains that just like soldiers, politicians will always come and go, but the barracks and the parties will always remain.
“Let me again say here that I’m ready to abide with the court’s verdict, either favourable or not, in the interest of the party. But it will be wrong for anybody to misconstrue my statement as backing down for Adebutu. I’m still very much in the race. But I believe the most important thing is for us all to work together, for the overall interests of the party, pending the determination of the suit before the court and even beyond that,” Senator Kashamu added.
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