CHAIRMAN, Lagos State chapter of Ali Modu Sheriff- led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Adewale, has alleged a grand plan involving Hon Moshood Salvador, leader of the Ahmed Markafi’s faction to frustrate the party’s victory at the forthcoming local government polls in the state.
Adewale raised this fear on Tuesday in a statement made available to the Tribune Online, insisted that any dealing between LASIEC and Salvador group was illegal and a total disregard for the party’s constitution.
This was just as he disclosed that he had petitioned the Police, DSS and all relevant security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone impersonating the PDP and those dealing with the impostors in Lagos State.
“We can no longer allow this illegality to continue unchallenged. We have, therefore, petitioned the Police, DSS and all relevant security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone impersonating the PDP and those dealing with the impostors in Lagos state,” he stated.
The PDP leader, while accusing Salvador and his group of having made over N12 million from the sale of “illegal nomination forms to unsuspecting aspirants buying into their lies of being the party representatives in Lagos,” said he (Salvador) was only acting the script of his godfathers who singularly proclaimed him the chairman without the appropriate authorities of the party.
He challenged Salvador to show the world a letter or certificate from the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP authorizing him to function in the office of the party chairman in Lagos State.
Adewale lamented that every attempt made by his executives to reconcile with members of the Markafi’s group towards the forthcoming council election was frustrated by Salvador, saying Salvador was simply seeking personal agenda at the detriment of PDP.
“Salvador is simply seeking personal agenda at the detriment of the party. They are covertly working to ensure the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming local government polls, while defrauding our members of funds needed to prosecute a successful election,” he said.
“Salvador has no authority whatsoever to present any candidate to LASIEC at the polls. According to Section 50 (1) of the PDP Constitution, the National Executive Committee of the Party is the only organ saddled with the authority of nominating candidates to INEC or any other authority to whom it may concern for election into any public office in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the electoral acts,” he added.
Adewale wondered why some staff members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had continued dealing with Salvador in total disregard of the PDP Constitution and a letter from the party’s NEC disowning Salvador’s illegal committee.
“Any further dealings with Salvador by LASIEC staff will be viewed as an attempt to rig the polls in favour of the APC.
“We are fully aware of a grand plan by the ruling APC to distract us using Salvador and a few greedy elements while they again impose their stooges at the grassroots. We will resist every such collaborations using all available legal means at our disposal,” Adewale vowed.
Honourable Salvador, when contacted on phone, refused to comment on the matter.
It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal siting in Port Harcourt had ruled in favour of Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic National Chairman of PDP under whose authority Otunba Segun Adewale and his executives operate in Lagos State.
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