Ondo PDP Elders Demand Justice On Primary Election

Some elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State have come out to condemn the replacement of the name of Eyitayo Jegede with that of Jimoh Ibrahim as the party’s candidate in the November 26 governorship election.

Addressing newsmen in Akure, the state capital, the leader of the group, a former Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olu Agbi refered to the court ruling and INEC’s decision to change the name as a rape of democracy.

He insisted that it is a prerogative of parties to nominate their candidates and not courts.

Agbi stated that this incident would create an unusual precedence for elections in Nigeria which will not be comfortable for our nation.

Agbi sounded a note of warning to the federal government that the experience of 1983 crisis must not be allowed ‎to repeat itself in the state.

He maintained that the will of God must be respected and protected so as to guarantee the peace and development of the state.

The choice of Mr Ibrahim has triggered series of protest staged by supporters of Mr Jegede, who claimed he was the legitimate candidate of the PDP.

The protest followed a list of candidates for the Ondo governorship poll published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC selected Rotimi Akeredolu as the APC flag bearer while Ibrahim was chosen over Jegede to represent the PDP in the election.

The list also revealed Mr Olusola Oke as the candidate for the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have also publicly condemned the choice of Ibrahim, describing INEC’s action as “an ungodly black market order”.