ONDO GUBER: INEC makes U-turn, drops Jegede, embraces Ibrahim

In apparent obedience of Justice Abang’s Abuja High Court ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has replaced Eyitayo Jegede’s name with that of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 26 election in Ondo State.

INEC revealed this in the final list it released on Thursday night. It also announced Mr. Alabi Ebenezer Omotayo as Ibrahim’s running mate.

The decision of the electoral umpire comes despite another court ruling on Thursday by an Akure High Court which ordered that Mr. Jegede be retained as the candidate of the PDP.

Ibrahim belongs to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP while Jegede is of the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee.

Read also: APC moves to punish its deputy spokesman for ‘criticising’ Oyegun

The same scenario had also played out in the recently concluded election in Edo State, but in the case of Edo, INEC had allowed the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate from Makarfi led faction of PDP as the authentic candidate of the party.

The list signed by the commission’s Secretary, Augusta Ogakwu, showed that Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu remains the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while also announcing Chief Olusola Oke as the candidate of the
Alliance for Democracy (AD).

By Ebere Ndukwu …

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now