The crisis rocking the Ogun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party may be far from over, as the party insists on fielding Ladi Adebutu as its governorship candidate in Ogun State for the March 2 election.
The opposition party urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, obey the judgement of the Court of Appeal of December 18, 2018, and reflect Adebutu’s name on its list.
This was disclosed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Ologbondiyan noted that Adebutu’s name was duly submitted to INEC after he won the primary election conducted by the party’s National Working Committee.
Read also: VP Osinbajo visits Lateef Jakande in Lagos
“The PDP charges the INEC chairman to note that since the ruling of the Court of Appeal validating Adebutu as the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, no other court, not even the Supreme Court, has nullified that extant ruling,” he added.
“INEC is therefore compelled to obey the law. It cannot choose for itself which judgement 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 Buruji Kashamu, who have been making misleading comments and trying to create an impression that the Supreme Court has made a pronouncement on the issue.”
Ologbondiyan claimed that Kashamu was not a member of the PDP and did not participate in the primary election.
“INEC cannot go to the streets to pick a candidate for our party,” he added.
“It must, therefore, in compliance with the extant judgment of the Court of Appeal, immediately reflect Adebutu’s name in the ballot paper.
“Otherwise, Nigerians will have no other option than to conclude that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has been compromised to cause confusion and anarchy in Ogun State.”