25th May, 2022
By Adejoke Adeleye,Abeokuta
Some aspirants under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun have accused some leaders of the party in the state of trying to substitute names of winners of the party primaries in the State House of Assembly and the National Assembly, primary elections for their favourites.
They however said they will resist the plot and challenge any such substitution in court if the Chairman and other stakeholders of the party failed to nip such plot in the bud.
The aspirants spoke during a press conference, held at the Ogun State Press Centre, Iwe Iroyin house, Abeokuta, the state capital on Tuesday.
Specifically, the aspirants alleged some leaders of Ogun PDP were trying to perpetrate injustice by annulling the primaries in which Dada Oduntan emerged candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District, Akeem Amosun for Abeokuta South Federal Constituency and Olawale Soyode for Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency.
Other aspirants with similar fears are Samuel Abiodun, who emerged for Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, Olanrewaju Enilolobo for Abeokuta South 1 Constituency, Surajudeen Adeyemi, Abeokuta South II and Makanjuola Daniel of Ewekoro State Constituency.
Addressing journalists on behalf of other aspirants, Amosun, said they were dully elected by delegates at the designated venue scheduled by the PDP at Olusegun Obasanjo Library Party.
According to Amosun, the exercises, were dully monitored by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security operatives including the police, Directorate of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC).
He said they were all amazed, when they heard that names of PDP candidates, were announced and the names were different from the names of those who won at the venues of the primaries.
Amosun, who displayed the schedule of the primary and the centres, said they would resist any attempt, to substitute their names, to a logical level.
He said, “We are the authentic candidates elected by authentic delegates at the authentic venues. We shall resist any attempt to do otherwise. We are using this medium to alert the National Secretariat of the party. We shall not hesitate to go to court, if the party failed to act according to the results, that we obtained from the primary.”
Amosun added that it was a rude shock to them when they heard that much later in the evening of Monday after they had long concluded their primaries at the designated places as approved by the party and INEC, another set of candidates who never followed the party guidelines were said to have also emerged for same offices at another primaries held at the state secretariat of the party.
Hon Samuel Olufemi Abiodun who was said to have emerged as the party candidate for Abeokuta North/Odeda/Obafemi-Owode federal constituency disclosed that the root of the illegalities being perpetrated by the party could allegedly easily be traced to Hon Ladipupo Adebutu who he said has hijacked the party.
Hon Samuel Olufemi Abiodun said “we however know where the problem is coming from, it is Hon Ladipupo Adebutu that is causing all these things. He has hijacked the leadership of the party from Hon Sukurullahi Ogundele, the Chairman of the party, but we have resolved to go to court if our grievances is not attended to by the party. We won’t accept these illegalities”.