Ondo guber: Recognise Jimoh Ibrahim now or risk jail, PDP tells INEC

AS the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prepares to publish the final names of candidates of for the November 26, 2016 governorship election in Ondo State, factional national secretary  of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Adewale Oladipo, on Wednesday asked the commission to immediately recognise Dr Jimoh Ibrahim as the authentic candidate of the party for the election

Addressing newsmen in Abuja on the outcome of the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NWC) of the party, he said the demand was based on the valid ruling of the Federal High Court that declared Jimoh Ibrahim as the authentic candidate of the party in the election which the Commission has failed to comply with

Oladipo said  in the event of INEC publishing “another name apart from his as PDP’s  candidate in the election, “somebody in the commission will go to Kuje prison for the contempt of the law.”

He stated that in a ruling, the court declared “that IMEC, the 1st Respondent/Alleged Contemptnor shall accept and process for the purpose of its functions and activities in organization and conduct of Ondo State Governorship election only the nomination of Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim who emerged from primary election conducted by the 1st and 2nd judgment Creditors/ Applicants on 29th August,2016 as the Candidate of the PDP in the said Ondo State Governorship election slated for November 2016.

“We are urging the INEC to be completely neutral in the Ondo gubernatorial election We are not asking for any favour for our candidate. He went through the party primary and won. We submitted his name and that of his running mate to the INEC.

“While doing this, a court order came to reaffirm him, Jimoh Ibrahim, as the authentic candidate. INEC must comply with the court order; anything otherwise is going against the law of the land. So, we are calling on the INEC to give recognition for the candidature of Jimoh Ibrahim, as a matter of urgency to enable the Party kick start its electioneering campaign for the election in the state.

“PDP, as a party, is committed to winning Ondo State again and again, because the state belongs to the PDP from the onset. The opposition had tried in the past to win the state but failed, just as the PDP had tried to win Lagos State severally but failed. We are full in support of our candidate who is Dr Jimoh Folorunso ibrahim, and we will back him to victory.”

On the level of reconciliation in the party, Oladipo said that a lot had been done behind the scene to bring together the Senator Ahmed Makarif-led faction and that of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff in the overall interest of the party.

“Both Senators Ahmed Makarif and Ali Modu Sheriff are committed to the total resolution of the unending crisis in the party. We are very mindful of the expectations of the Nigerians  people and we will not let them down, nobody is greater than the party. Very soon, Nigerians will have course to celebrate with us again. The genesis of the crisis in the party is impunity and disregard for the rule of law. All these must stop; the reconciliation is on the high speed but all we are doing are being done in accordance with the law of the land. We are following due process to have genuine reconciliation this time around.

“It is even alarming that the crisis in the PDP has assumed a national security; it is a national issue now. It is our responsibility to put an end to the crisis because the nascent democracy must survive,” Oladipo said.

While the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party submitted the name of Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) to INEC as the party’s candidate for the election, the Sheriff faction submitted Jimoh Ibrahim’s name as the authentic candidate.

INEC will, tomorrow (October 28) publish the final names of the candidates for the parties in the election