Ondo PDP: Jimoh Ibrahim’s emergence illegal, says Markafi’s faction.

Peter Dada, Akure.

Forty-eight hours after his emergence as the candidate of the Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim has been disowned by the Ahmed Markafi’s faction of the party, saying he emerged as the candidate of the party illegally.

The Makarfi faction also declared that the PDP had no other candidate apart from a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede.

Jegede emerged the candidate of the party last week during the primary of the Markafi faction, held at the International Events Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Ibrahim won the primary of the Sheriff faction held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Monday. However, it was gathered that the primary was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Makarfi faction, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Banji Okunomo, said the Sherriff faction’s primary was illegally conducted, adding that it was not attended by the “real stakeholders.”

The statement read, ” All the persons that fall in the various categories making up the governorship primary had already participated in the Congress that produced Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the flag bearer of the party.

“These persons cannot be impersonated and their roles in the electoral college cannot be replicated, duplicated or copied in whatever guise.

“It is also very important, at this juncture, to tell the whole world that Jimoh Ibrahim, the acclaimed candidate of the illegal parallel PDP primary, is not a member of the PDP from ward to state level.”

It noted that Ibrahim had left the PDP and had allegedly joined the Accord Party and he had not yet relinquished his membership of the AP. It also alleged that Ibrahim had not followed the procedure necessary to rejoin the PDP.

According to the statement, it is not only illegal for a member of another party to pick the governorship ticket of the PDP, but it also amounts to double standards. Hence, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has declared Jimoh Ibrahim a ‘persona non grata.’

The PDP, in the statement, urged members to remain steadfast and work for the success of the party in the governorship election, coming up on November 26, 2016.



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