The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, withdrew from participating in the local government election being held in the state today.
The state chairman of the party, Honourable Sikirulai Ogundele, who announced the withdrawal in Abeokuta, the state capital, said the decision was informed by the bias of the electoral body, Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), which he described as a “dubious umpire.”
Ogundele accused OGSIEC of choosing to create a fictional faction for the PDP and consequently handed over the nomination forms meant for the party to one Alhaji Leke Shittu.
He said the decision was taken despite the electoral body being aware that he (Ogundele) chairs the State Working Committee of the PDP in the state.
He was the exclusion of the PDP was in disobedience to Ogun State High Court judgment delivered on Thursday, which affirmed Ogundele as leading the only lawful executive of the party in the state.
The party chairman stressed that the orchestrated exclusion of the PDP was to give room for the All Progressives Congress APC-led government in the state “to continue to strangulate the third tier of government in Ogun State by preventing free, fair and credible election.”
“The judgment of Ogun State High Court delivered on Thursday, 22nd July 2021 by Justice Gboyega Ogunfowora, reaffirmed an earlier Federal High Court’s consent judgment that confirmed Ogundele-led executive as the authentic executive in Ogun State.
“The Judge dismissed the application for joinder by the one Alhaji Leke Shittu whom OGSIEC had been relating with, on the ground that he had no locus standi as a member of the state executive of PDP in Ogun State.
“The fact remains that PDP had already started participating in the process because forms had been released to an individual and aspirants had been screened. The question begging for an answer is ‘should PDP suffer because OGSIEC deliberately handed forms to an individual rather than the party? Was it deliberate? The answer is yes.
“In view of the above facts, PDP has decided to withdraw participation from the council election. OGSIEC has clearly shown the commission’s bias towards the desires of APC-led state government to continue to strangulate the third tier of government in Ogun State by preventing free, fair and credible elections,” Ogundele said.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Ogun PDP withdraws Ogun PDP withdraws
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Ogun PDP withdraws Ogun PDP withdraws
and then