Jegede remains Ondo PDP Flagbearer – Faboyede

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By; Odeyemi Samuel, Akure.
The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Engr. Clement Faboyede has reaffirmed Eyitayo Jegede as the party’s  flag bearer for the November 26 Governorship election.
Addressing a Press Conference in Akure, Engr. Faboyede declared that the Friday’s judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as the gubernatorial candidate of the party for the November 26 governorship election in the state could not stand the test of time.
According to him, Barr Jimoh Ibrahim is not  a member of the PDP, adding that the party’s gubernatorial standard bearer in the forthcoming election remains Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), having emerged the winner of the governorship primary election held under the supervision of INEC both from the state and Abuja.
A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Okon  Abang had ruled that Ibrahim who was presented as the PDP gubernatorial candidate from the Alli Modu Sherif faction of the party should contest the November 26 governorship election.
But the state Chairman of the party, Engr. Clement Faboyede told Journalists that the judgment was not binding on the party’s gubernatorial standard bearer Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as he was not joined in the suit filed by Ibrahim, even as he maintained that Ibrahim is a member of the Accord Party (AP).
He stressed that there was no nexus between the suit filed by Ibrahim and the forthcoming governorship election in the state, saying, Jegede remains the sole gubernatorial standard bearer of the PDP in the state.
While commenting on the ruling, Faboyede said; “There is need to set the trajectory leading to the two decisions of Hon. Justice O.E Abang the justice of the Federal High Court Abuja in respect of the Governorship election in Ondo State slated for 26thNovember, 2016.
“By originating summons, dated and filed on 7th of June, 2016, the claimants who were Nine in number sought certain reliefs from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Hon Justice O.E Abang In a nutshell, the suit sought to determine the tenure and membership of the State Executive Committee of PDP in the South West Zone and in addition sought directions in respect of party primaries for 2019 General Elections.
“It should be noted that the Ondo State Governorship election
scheduled for 26th November 2016 was not part of the plaintiffs claim and no reference was made to it in the claim.
“But wherein the presiding Judge directed INEC to receive the
nomination papers of Jimoh Ibrahim from the applicants, as State
Executive of the PDP, against the backdrop of numerous decisions of the Supreme Court that it is the National Executive of a political party that has the responsibility to submit names of Candidates to INEC.
“His Lordship’s order made no pronouncement in respect of the Status of Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the candidate of PDP, neither did he make reference to the list of candidates published by INEC on the 29thday of September, 2016 subject of the Governorship Election. Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), the PDP Governorship Candidate in Ondo State was not a party to any of the processes filed; no order was also made against him. Jimoh Ibrahim referred to in the latest decision was also nota party to the two cases.
“How then did Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim now become a beneficiary of the decision of His Lordship? Other than the ‘Cooperation’ that pervades the entire processes and proceedings in the case, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) remains the lawful and only Candidate of PDP to the office of the Governor of Ondo State in the November 2016 Election.
“We must state for the records, that despite the inherent weakness and obvious ineffectiveness of this judgment against the candidature of Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), legal steps have been taken to affirm the validity of his candidature and expose the flaws in the decisions of the Court that are targeted at subverting the will of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the generality of the people of Ondo State.
“That the attempt to re-write the judgment by changing the date of 2019 general elections as contained in the earlier judgment of 29thJune, 2016 and linking it with the Governorship election.

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