…Pleads With Monarch To Beg President Buhari To Intervene In PDP Crisis
Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday marched on the main street of Akure, the Ondo State capital to protest against the candidature of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the flag bearer of the party for the November 26, 2016 governorship Poll.
The aggrieved protesters armed with placards bearing different unprintable inscriptions claimed that Mr. Eyitayo Jegede is the rightful governorship candidate of the PDP in Ondo state.
They described the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja that favored Mr. Ibrahim against Mr. Jegede as biased and unacceptable to the whole of Akure people in the state.
The protestors condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja for bowing to pressure by accepting the name of Jimoh Ibrahim on the candidates guber list.
Many of them who spoke during the protest threatened to unleash terror in Ondo state if Eyitayo Jegede was not recognized as the candidate of the PDP.
The protesters again shut down all the markets in the state capital and marched down to the palace of the Akure Monarch.
Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, the Deji of Akure Kingdom, who addressed the protesters, said the town is known for its peaceful existence adding that nothing should be allowed to breach the peaceful atmosphere in the metropolis.
He called on President Mohammadu Buhari to beckon on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rescind its decision over the rightly candidate of the PDP for the November governorship poll.
“If INEC cannot manage just one political party how can it manage Twenty-eight political parties that would be participating in the November governorship election.
“Akure is peaceful and we don’t want anything that would destabilize the peace currently being enjoyed in Ondo State.
“It’s in the history of Akure that in 1983, we lost many of our sons and daughters and we don’t want a repetition of that in Ondo state.
“Am appealing to President Mohammadu Buhari to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the right thing to avoid violence.
“The judiciary should also intervene and make sure that all parties get justice because we don’t want any injustice in our dear Ondo State”, he said.
Earlier, Clement Faboyede, the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman (PDP) in the state described the removal of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede’s name from the INEC final list as an act of injustice.
He alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal government was behind the recognition of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim’s name as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ondo State.
Mr. Faboyede who insisted that Ibrahim, a controversial businessman was not a member of the PDP in the state said the action of the electoral body was capable of settling Ondo State on fire.
The State PDP Chairman further begged the Akure Monarch to use his traditional stool in intervening over the matter rocking the umbrella party and its rightful candidate.
“Please, help us to beg Mr President (Buhari) and the INEC not to set Ondo State on fire with this injustice that they have perpetrated against our son and PDP candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede.
“INEC monitored the due process that led to the emergence of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede as the rightly guber candidate of our party (PDP) and we don’t want violence.
“We all know that some cabals in the All Progressive Congress (APC) are using Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim against the candidacy of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede who is the PDP candidate in the State” Mr. Faboyede said.
Daily Times correspondent reported that the action of the aggrieved PDP supporters and members brought traffic to a standstill in the popular Oba Adesida road in the State capital.
