The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, yesterday advised Sen. Buruji Kashamu not to rejoice yet over his recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate in the state.
Adebutu said the INEC’s final list, which has the name of Buruji and his co – travellers as candidates for the forthcoming general elections, is “just a temporary one,” declaring that he, Adebutu, would not only smile but also laugh last.
The federal lawmaker, who made this known in a statement by Dayo Rufai, the Associate Media Team Head, Ladi Adebutu Democratic Organisation, added that it was disheartening that INEC would insist on listing Kashamu as a governorship candidate when he was never a part of valid a primary organised and conducted by a legitimate committee of the PDP.
The statement reads: “It is disheartening to note that after we have complied with all electoral guidelines in line with the constitutional provision of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, INEC insists on doing its bidding. We went through an open primary, supervised by the National Secretariat of the party, and even monitored by the same INEC as the electoral umpire, and at the end of it all, we were declared the winner.
“Few weeks after, Sen. Buruji Kashamu, who was never part of the primary sat down somewhere and personally handpicked some names to represent the interest of the party in the state. “To push their desperation further, Buruji went to an Abeokuta High Court to seek for an injunction to force INEC to accept their own list. The injunction was hurriedly granted only for the Court of Appeal in Ibadan to set the order aside.
“So, rather than INEC to respect the order of the appellate court, and accept our own list in compliance with the directive of the PDP NWC, INEC with their position, has now become a tool in the hand of APC where the umpire is now to choose who and who represents the party interest. “Anyway, we remained unshaken and even much more determined to carry on with our campaign to all the LG areas in the state. “We are very hopeful and in high spirit that the final list, which has the name of Buruji and his co travellers, is just a temporary one, as Hon. Ladi Adebutu and other party candidates will smile at the end of the day.”