Ondo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reaffirmed that EyitayoJegede SAN, remains the Governorship Candidate of the party, saying he is not a party to the ruling of Hon. Justice E O Abang, ordering that controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, be recognised as the candidate of the PDP in the November 2016 election.
The party, through its state chairman, Clement Faboyede, stated this while addressing newsmen in Akure, on Saturday, described the ruling as a distraction and an unholy alliance to subvert the will of Ondo people.
Faboyede said the originating summons, dated and filed on 7th of June, 2016, where nine claimants sought certain reliefs from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Hon Justice O.E. Abang, to determine the tenure and membership of the State Executive Committee of the PDP in the South West Zone and in addition sought directions in respect of party primaries for 2019 general elections do not have anything to do with Ondo State governorship election scheduled for 26th November, saying it was not part of the plaintiffs claim and no reference was made to it.
He said the case was concluded on 29th of June, and the reliefs that had to do with election referred to and were tied to 2019 general election and no nexus between the suit and the November governorship election in the state.
Faboyede further stated that another set of processes which was filed on 29th September, is a contempt proceedings against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), wherein the presiding Judge directed INEC to receive the nomination papers of Jimoh Ibrahim from the applicants as State Executive of the PDP against the backdrop of numerous decisions of the Supreme Court that it is the National Executive of a political party that has the responsibility to submit names of Candidates to INEC.
“His Lordship’s order made no pronouncement in respect of the Status of EyitayoJegede (SAN) as the candidate of PDP, neither did he make reference to the list of candidates published by INEC on the 29thday of September, 2016 subject of the Governorship Election.
“Mr.EyitayoJegede (SAN), the PDP Governorship Candidate in Ondo State was not a party to any of the processes filed, no order was also made against him. Jimoh Ibrahim referred to in the latest decision was also not a party to the two cases. How then did Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim now become a beneficiary of the decision of His Lordship? Faboyede inquired.
The party chairman thereby affirmed that EyitayoJegede SAN, remains the lawful and only Candidate of PDP to the office of the Governor of Ondo State in the November 2016 Election.
“We must state for the records, that despite the inherent weakness and obvious ineffectiveness of this judgement against the candidature of EyitayoJegede (SAN), legal steps have been taken to affirm the validity of his candidature and expose the flaws in the decisions of the Court that are targeted at subverting the will of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the generality of the people of Ondo State”.
“The attempt to re-write the judgement by changing the date of 2019 general elections as contained in the earlier judgement of 29th June, 2016 and linking it with the Governorship election of 2016, which was never the subject of the earlier suit would certainly be a subject of investigation by the appropriate statutory authorities.” Faboyede stated.
Faboyede thanked party supporters for their overwhelming support and assured them that the campaign is going on in full gear since there is no judgement against the candidature of party’s flag bearer, Eyitayo Jegede, that “what cannot be secured lawfully, cannot be secured through the back door”.
