We reject Ibrahim in totality, Jegede is our candidate, Makarfi’s PDP insists

The Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said it rejected in totality, the announcement of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, as the party’s candidate for the coming Ondo State governorship election.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Thursday announced Mr Ibrahim as the PDP candidate after it substituted the name of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, replacing it with Ibrahim’s on a order by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja.

The commission is said to have disregarded the order of Justice Olamide of the Ondo State High Court restraining INEC from substituting Jegede’s name.

However, the Makarfi faction of the party, in a statement in Abuja on Friday by its spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, insisted that it will only work with Mr. Jegede as its candidate in the November 26 governorship election.

“We reject in its totality the announcement of INEC of the list of candidates for the Ondo State governorship election on which the names of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim and Alabi Omotayo as candidate and running mate of our party were published respectively.

Read also: Ondo guber: Who’ll save Nigeria from this tyranny and dictatorship, Fayose cries

“In announcing its list, INEC completely disregarded the order of Justice Olamide of the Ondo State High Court restraining INEC from substituting the name of our candidate, Jegede choosing instead to pay heed to the order given by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court.

“These actions have resulted in massive protests in many parts of Ondo State as the Ondo people have taken to the streets to show displeasure at the schemes to deny them of the candidate of their choice for the governorship election.

“It is most unfortunate that INEC and external forces are seeking to make Jimoh Ibrahim, who is not a member of our party and who did not participate in our primaries which INEC itself has admitted, the candidate of our party through the back door,” part of the statement reads.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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