Adebutu remains Ogun gov candidate not Kashamu - PDP warns INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) on Thursday maintained Hon. Ladi Adebutu is its authentic and legitimate governorship in Ogun State...

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) on Thursday maintained Hon. Ladi Adebutu is its authentic and legitimate governorship in Ogun State for the March 2 gubernatorial polls.

The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to save itself from unnecessary controversies and immediately reflects Adebutu as PDP candidate in the Gateway state in compliance with the judgment of the Court of Appeal of December 18, 2018.

It also advised party members, supporters, voters and the public to ignore anything to the contrary.

This was contained in a statement by National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan.


The party said: "The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) hereby informs the general public, security agencies, all electoral organs, observers and particularly, its teeming supporters in Ogun state that its candidate in the March 2, 2019 election in Ogun state remains Ladi Adebutu.

"The PDP cautions the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to insulate the commission from unnecessary controversies by immediately obeying the judgment of the Court of Appeal of December 18, 2018, and without further delay reflect Hon. Ladi Adebutu's name on the ballot, in the interest of a hitch free and peaceful election in Ogun state.

"The PDP states that Hon. Ladi Adebutu's name was duly and statutorily submitted to INEC after he won the governorship primary conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC), the only body empowered by law to conduct such primaries.

"The PDP has not substituted his nomination with anybody and such is not in our contemplation.

"The PDP charges the INEC Chairman to note that since the ruling of the Court of Appeal validating Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun state, no other court, not even the Supreme Court has over turned that extant ruling.

"INEC is therefore compelled to obey the law. It cannot choose for itself which judgment to obey and cannot operate in waiting, anticipation or contemplation of a non-existent consideration in the conduct of the Ogun governorship election."

The party described Senator Buruji Kashamu as an imposter, saying he cannot fly its flag at the polls.

The PDP insisted: "Moreover, the PDP holds that Senator Buruji cannot under any imagination be the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun state.

"He is not a member of our party; he did not participate in our Ogun state governorship primary and has no connection whatsoever in our governorship nomination process at any level for that matter.

"INEC cannot go to the streets to pick a candidate for our party. It must, therefore, in compliance with the extant judgment of the Court of Appeal, immediately reflect Ladi Adebutu's name in the ballot, otherwise Nigerians will have no other option than to conclude that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has become compromised to cause confusion and anarchy in Ogun state."