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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has two candidates for the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State. This happened as the two factions of the party submitted the names of two different candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While the faction led by the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi submitted the name of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), tne Ali Modu Sheriff camp submitted Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as its own candidate for the election scheduled to hold on November 26.
The faction was said to have relied on two court orders, one of which asked the commission to take candidates for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states from Sheriff’s camp.
The spokesman for the faction, Mr. Bernard Mikko, confirmed the submission of the name of Ibrahim by his faction.
Mikko, a former member of the House of Representatives, said his faction was sure of winning the election in the state.
However, a member of the National Caretaker Committee under the leadership of Makarfi, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, faulted the submission of Ibrahim’s name by the Sheriff faction.
He said the aim and the action of the group would come to nothing, just the way he alleged the faction failed in its bid to submit another name as the party’s governorship candidate in Edo State.
Adeyeye wondered where the faction got the courage to take the name to INEC, when the electoral body did not monitor the primary that produced its candidate.
He said, “If they do that (submission of Ibrahim’s name), it will amount to nothing. This is because, we have court judgments in our favour and moreover, INEC did not monitor their own primary.
“Let them continue with the entertainment. Nigerians are enjoying their drama.”
The primary election that produced Ibrahim is still a subject of controversy. The election took place in Ibadan, Oyo State while the one won by Jegede, was done in Akure, the Ondo State capital.