Ogun PDP crisis deepens

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, in Abuja, presented Ladi Adebutu with the symbolic party flag, to enable him contest the Ogun State governorship election on the party’s platform.

The party leadership also presented similar flags to Jimi Agbaje to fly the PDP governorship flag in Lagos State, while Seyi Makinde was also presented with the flag for the Oyo State governorship contest.

While presenting the flags to the candidates, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said the party had submitted Adebutu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.

Secondus declared Adebutu as the party’s authentic governorship candidate for Ogun State.

Responding to the development, Buruji, who was recently recognised by INEC as the party’s governorship candidate in the state based on the a ruling by a Federal High Court, said that Secondus should be held responsible “for breach of public peace and safety should there be a breakdown of law and order in Ogun State” in the build up to the 2019 general election.

The Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, urged the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the  Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to take cognizance of Secondus’ conduct which, according to him, is capable of causing tension and a breach of public peace.

Kashamu spoke in a statement he issued at the weekend following the presentation of the Ogun State PDP governorship flag to a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, in Abuja, on Friday.

He said the AGF, IGP and DG, SSS should refuse the temptation to allow “some misguided politicians” to take the laws into their hands and continue to act contemptuously of valid and subsisting court orders and judgements while hiding under the cloak of politics and politicking.

The lawmaker noted that ,”The desperation showed by Secondus is only typical of a mercenary who is hell-bent on delivering on the job he has been paid to do. His latest action was done in utter disregard to the Party’s Constitution and subsisting judgment of courts – from the High Court to the Supreme Court – which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has since complied with.

“It is a sad commentary on our democratic institutions that the National Chairman of our Party, Prince Uche Secondus, could preside over such a disgraceful exercise because he could not do it at the South-West zonal rally held on Thursday seeing the trouble such an illegal act could have caused. The shame is on Secondus and his co-travellers because they had to run to Abuja where they purportedly presented the Party’s flag to the impostor in an office whereas such an event is usually done openly and with fanfare.

“What is more, even if PDP presents 10,000 flags to Adebutu, it does not change the fact that the courts have pronounced the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP Exco as the only party structure recognized by the law in Ogun State. It is merely ceremonial. It does not change the lists of candidates accepted, processed and published by INEC. It cannot change the verdicts of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.  It cannot also change the wide acceptance of our aspiration by the good people of Ogun State and beyond.”