SENANTOR KASHAMU:Â The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State worsened on Monday as the two rivals for its governorship ticket, Senator Buruji Kashamu, and Ladi Adebutu, launched separate campaigns for the 2019 election.
Senator Kashamu, who is recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), launched his campaign in Ijebu-Igbo town, while Adebutu, who the national headquarters of the party has handed the party’s flag in the state, launched his in Abeokuta.
Both venues were thronged by thousands of their different sets of supporters who claimed each was the authentic PDP flagbearer.
Senator Buruji Kashamu’s supporters argued that his candidature has been affirmed by the electoral body. But Adebutu’s supporters said the presentation of the party flag to him by the national leadership of the party affirmed his candidature, stressing that Senator Kashamu and his supporters were only wasting their time and resources.
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The two factions in the state conducted parallel congresses, but INEC acting on a court judgment recognized Senator Kashamu as the party’s candidate.
PDP had earlier suspended Senator Kashamu and the Dayo Bayo-led executive in the state. But they went to court and obtained a judgment.
At the zonal flag off of the PDP campaigns in the Southwest last week in Ibadan, the party presented its flag to Adebutu as its governorship candidate for Ogun State, ignoring Senator Kashamu who was not at the event.
The National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, while presenting the party flags to the governorship candidates in the zone, including Seyi Makinde for Oyo State and Jimi Agbaje for Lagos State, who was represented by Oluwayemisi Busari, declared that those who want to contest against the party and its candidates in the South-West states should be ready.
He boasted that PDP would win the legal tussle on its governorship candidate in Ogun, emphasizing that Adebutu was duly elected in the primary.
Secondus said the party’s primaries nationwide were monitored by INEC and the party submitted the names of its candidates to the commission in accordance with electoral guidelines.
“You cannot return and bend the method.
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 signature.â€
Mr Adebutu, asked to speak on behalf of his colleagues at the event, said he was certain that PDP was “destined by God to deliver the nation from problems it
â€emphasizing that the party had shown that it is able to administer itself and lead the nation.
He said parties that cannot administer their affairs cannot administer a nation.
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“PDP has shown clearly that we’ve got the capability to administer ourselves well.
We have done therefore and that we have had processes throughout the state that everyone ought to be happy with.â€
Adebutu pledged that the candidates would do their best to provide good governance if elected in their various states, adding,
“we will do our best to bring food and security to the masses of this country.
“We will also create an enabling environment that will make it easy for investors to stay here and help us prosper as a nation. Those are the things we believe in that will bring about good governance in all the states,†he said
He decried Secondus calling him an agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that he was only fighting for his right and those of his teeming supporters in the PDP.
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“As the National Chairman of AN opposition and pan-Nigeria organisation, Prince Secondus is supposed to be a leader and the alter ego of the PDP.
Thus, there’s a supposal that he would project the most effective that PDP represents.
It is not for him to continue to carry on as a serial contemnor through consistent disobedience of subsisting court judgments under the guise of party supremacy.
He cannot still act as if the party isn’t guided by its own constitution and also the Constitution of the Federal Republic of the African country.
“It is stunning that whereas the leaders and elders of the party also as its presidential candidate UN agency believe the Rule of Law have suggested the national leadership
of our party to toe the path of honor, Secondus and his co-travelers decided to go the inglorious way of impunity and disregard for constituted authorities – in a desperate
bid to accomplish the mercenary job they need to be been paid to try and do.â€
Kashamu said with the conduct of
Secondus, the PDP was telling Nigerians and members of the party that the party belongs to them and they can do whatever pleases them.
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“They are speech they’re the Alpha and Omega of the party; which they’re a lot of power than the Constitution of the Federal Republic of the African country.
They have always done this to people. But, I want to make it abundantly clear that, on behalf of all the cheated and oppressed members of the party, we will fight for our rights till the last.
“I urge the judiciary, the legislature and the executive arms of government to take cognizance of the happenings in the PDP as they relate to the Ogun State PDP issue. It is not about me or my supporters. It is about our democracy and respect for the Rule of Law which are being endangered by the activities of Secondus and his ilk.†he said.
Meanwhile, the case over the PDP flag in Ogun is still in court.
www.sojworld.com (c) December 11, 2018
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