The leadership of the Accord Party (AP) in Ondo state on Wednesday, denied political alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Eyitayo Jegede, to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Ajibola Falaye who made this denial during a press conference in Akure, the state capital, described those behind the alliance as disgruntled elements who had been expelled by the party years ago for anti-party activities.
Falaye maintained that there was never a meeting where such an idea was discussed between PDP and Accord Party, saying the state chapter of the party was never part of such arrangements.
According to him, the state chapter of the AP cannot enter into an alliance without the knowledge and consent of the national leadership and National Working Committee (NCW) of the party, saying the party still has its structure intact.
He disclosed that Accord Party governorship candidate, Rotimi Akindejoye and his running mate, Akinyemi Bibiresanmi, emerged during the party primaries organised by the party and witnessed by the officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
He, however, described those behind the purported alliance as impostors and not known to the party, saying those who spearheaded the team had been suspended from the party six years ago over anti-party activities.
Falaye said, “the news that some leaders of Accord Party in the state went to the party secretariat of PDP to collapse the structure of Accord party into the campaign structure of the PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede was embarrassing to us.
“We were made to understand that the person that led the strange members of Accord Party to the PDP secretariat was one Dr Ambode who has been expelled from the party some years ago.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Accord Party has not adopted any candidate. I, Dr Ajibola Falaye remain the state Chairman of Accord Party in Ondo State. Those that went to the PDP secretariat are alien to Accord Party, we don’t know them.
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“In politics, there is free entry and free exit. It is not a new thing if you are leaving a party for another one but in this case, the so-called Ambode and his cohorts are not known to our party. Ambode has been expelled from the party by the National Secretariat almost six years ago.”
The Accord party chairman lambasted the leadership of PDP in the state for not verifying the true identity of the self-acclaimed Accord Party members that joined Jegede group, describing the development as a threat to democracy.
“So, for the PDP to come out to say that they are welcoming the strongest set of people from Accord Party should not be taken seriously. PDP has also failed to confirm the authenticity of the members. They are not known to be members of the party in the state.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Accord party organised its primaries and we have Rotimi Akindejoye as the governorship candidate.
“Our investigation revealed that a particular officer of the party in the person of Reverend Adebayo Adeniyi who is a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, (BoT) has been mingling with PDP and its governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede. All these people are just looking for cheap popularity and money, and they are not known to Accord Party,”
He, however, maintained that the AP will field its candidate in the next governorship election in the state, saying if there’s going to be any developments, it should emanates from the national secretariat of the party.
PDP had on Tuesday through its Publicity Secretary in the state, Kennedy Peretei claimed that Accord Party had collapsed its structures in all the 18 Local Government Areas and 203 Wards across the State to support Jegede.
Peretei stated that a strong member of the party, Ambode Abiodun led the Accord Party team to the PDP secretariat where the purported endorsement was done with a promise to deliver not less than 100,000 votes to Jegede at the October 10 governorship polls.
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