The Independent National Electoral Commission has revealed that it will obey the judgement of the Court Appeal, which asked it to remove the name of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Saturday governorship election in Ondo State but on one condition – the order of the court should be served on it before Friday.
The commission said it would now replace his name with that of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as ordered by the appeal court.
It said it was when such judgment is served on it that it will immediately comply with it.
Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated this in an interview with our correspondent.
He nevertheless said that the commission was not planning to shift the date of the election.
Oyekanmi said that the commission would now jettison the earlier Federal High Court judgment by Justice Abang Okon, asking it to use the name of Ibrahim as the PDP candidate.
He said, “Yes, the judgment as we followed it shows that we must replace the name of Ibrahim with that of Jegede.
“We will obey the judgment because this is an order coming from a superior court. We will abide by that decision. However, we will expect that the judgment be served on us before Friday to enable us comply. When we are served, we will comply immediately.
“But we are not going to shift the date of the election. We have passed that stage. The election is going to hold on Saturday, November 24 as scheduled.”
In his reaction to the judgment, a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fanikayode, described the judgment as a victory to the party, Jegede and the outgoing Governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.
He said the judgment has shamed those he described as usurpers and spoilers within the former ruling party.
“The usurpers, spoilers and agents of darkness have been exposed, justice has been done, the PDP is back and we are now on the rise,” he added.