PDP presents flags to governorship candidates in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo states

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday in Abuja presented the party’s flag to its governorship candidates for Lagos, Oyo and Ogun States, ahead the 2019 general elections.

The candidates are: Mr Ladi Adebutu for Ogun, Seye Makinde for Oyo State and Mr Jimi Agbaje for Lagos State, who was represented by Mrs Oluwayemisi Busari.

The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, while presenting the party flag, said that those who wanted to contest against the party and its candidates in the South-West states should be ready.

Secondus expressed optimism that the party would be victorious in the legal tussle on its governorship candidate in Ogun, saying that Adebutu was duly elected in the primary that produced him as the PDP candidate.

He said that the party’s primaries nationwide were monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and names of the PDP candidates were submitted to the commission by leadership of the party in accordance with electoral guidelines.

“You cannot come and bend the process. It is criminal for one person to print form and sell the form to himself, conduct congress by himself and submit names to INEC in his signatory,” he said

The Ogun Governorship Candidate, Mr Ladi Adebutu, while speaking on behalf of his colleagues, said he was certain that PDP was “destined by God to deliver the nation from problems it was currently going through.”

Adebutu said that the party had shown with determination that it was able to administer itself and lead the nation.

He said that parties that were not capable of administer themselves could not administer a nation.

“PDP has shown clearly that we have the capacity to administer ourselves well. We have done so and we have had processes throughout the nation that everybody should be proud of.”

Adebutu pledged that the candidates would do their best to provide good governance if elected in their various states.

 

Kashamu reacts

Meanwhile, Senator Buruji Kashamu has said that the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus should be held responsible “for breach of public peace and safety should there be a breakdown of law and order in Ogun State” in the build up to the 2019 general election.

He urged the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, the  Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to take cognizance of Secondus’ conduct which, according to him, is capable of causing tension and a breach of public peace.

Kashamu spoke in a statement he issued at the weekend following the presentation of the Ogun State PDP governorship flag to a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, in Abuja, on Friday.

He said the AGF, IGP and DG, SSS should refuse the temptation to allow “some misguided politicians” to take the laws into their hands and continue to act contemptuously of valid and subsisting court orders and judgments while hiding under the cloak of politics and politicking. There is no gainsaying the fact that such illegal acts could cause unmitigated disorder and a breach of public peace.

The lawmaker noted that he would soon furnish the offices of the AGF, IGP and SSS with all the relevant documents, detailing the criminal and contemptuous acts of these retrogressive elements.

Kashamu said, “The desperation showed by Secondus is only typical of a mercenary who is hell-bent on delivering on the job he has been paid to do. His latest action was done in utter disregard to the Party’s Constitution and subsisting judgment of courts – from the High Court to the Supreme Court – which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has since complied with.

“It is a sad commentary on our democratic institutions that the National Chairman of our Party, Prince Uche Secondus, could preside over such a disgraceful exercise because he could not do it at the South-West zonal rally held on Thursday seeing the trouble such an illegal act could have caused. The shame is on Secondus and his co-travellers because they had to run to Abuja where they purportedly presented the Party’s flag to the impostor in an office whereas such an event is usually done openly and with fanfare.

“What is more, even if PDP presents 10,000 flags to Adebutu, it does not change the fact that the courts have pronounced the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP Exco as the only party structure recognized by the law in Ogun State. It does not change the lists of candidates accepted, processed and published by INEC. It cannot change the verdicts of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.  It cannot also change the wide acceptance of our aspiration by the good people of Ogun State and beyond.”

Kashamu commended the notable leaders and elders of PDP who have always upheld the Rule of Law and democratic ethos even in the face of unjustified provocation.