Ogun poll: PDP insists on Adebutu

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says Ladi Adebutu remains its candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ogun State.

It has, therefore, cautioned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reflect his name or the commission would be seen as compromised.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the National Publicity of the party, Kola Ologbodiyan, admonished the electoral body to obey the December ruling of the Court of Appeal which validated the supremacy of the party in fielding candidates.

He said INEC has no right to choose a candidate for the party as Buruji Kashamu, who INEC has recognized is not known to the PDP.

The party spokesman said: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereby informs the general public, security agencies, all electoral organs, observers and particularly, its teeming supporters in Ogun state that its candidate in the March 2, 2019 election in Ogun state remains Hon Ladi Adebutu.

“The PDP cautions the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to insulate the commission from unnecessary controversies by immediately obeying the judgment of the Court of Appeal of December 18, 2018, and without further delay reflect Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s name on the ballot, in the interest of a hitch free and peaceful election in Ogun state.

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“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 overturned 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 extent 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.”

The PDP appreciated the people of Ogun state for rallying behind 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, cautioned those it called certain manipulators in INEC “as well as fifth columnists, who are being funded by anti-democratic forces to destabilise our party in Ogun and cause trouble in the state, to desist from such acts as they will be firmly resisted by the people.”