>
The Ahmed Markafi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned Jimoh Ibrahim who emerged as governorship candidate following a primary conducted by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction on Monday.
The Makarfi faction also declared that the PDP had no other candidate apart from a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede.
Jegede emerged the candidate of the party last week during the primary of the Markafi faction, held at the International Events Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Ibrahim won the primary of the Sheriff faction held in Premier Hotel, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. It was however gathered that the primary was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Makarfi faction, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Banji Okunomo, said the Sheriff faction’s primary was illegally conducted, adding that it was not attended by the “real stakeholders.”
The statement read: “All the persons that fall in the various categories making up the governorship primary had already participated in the Congress that produced Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the flag bearer of the party.
“These persons cannot be impersonated and their roles in the electoral college cannot be replicated, duplicated or copied in whatever guise.
“It is also very important, at this juncture, to tell the whole world that Jimoh Ibrahim, the acclaimed candidate of the illegal parallel PDP primary, is not a member of the PDP from ward to state level.”
The statement added that Ibrahim had left the PDP and had allegedly joined the Accord Party and he had not yet relinquished his membership of the AP. It also alleged that Ibrahim had not followed the procedure necessary to rejoin the PDP.
It said it was not only illegal for a member of another party to pick the governorship ticket of the PDP, but it also amounts to double standards. Hence, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has declared Jimoh Ibrahim a ‘persona non grata.’
The party then urged members to remain steadfast and work for the success of the party in the governorship election, coming up on November 26, 2016.