Ogun PDP writes Ayu over fresh secret primary election
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has been warned against being part of the plan to conduct a “fresh secret primary election” for the Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency.
Under the aegis of concerned party members, the group from Ogun State, in a petition addressed to Ayu and signed by Abiola Adeola and Ademola Nasir, said the alleged fresh primary election is fraudulent and will never stand the test of legal scrutiny.
The controversy surrounding PDP primaries in Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency had pitted the current Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adesegun Adekoya, against some party chieftains.
In the primary election held for the Federal Constituency on May 23, 2022, Hon. Kehinde Bello polled 58 votes to defeat four other aspirants in the contest. The results also showed that Tele Ogunjobi polled 38 votes to emerge second; Sunday Adegbesan got 02 votes; Adesegun Adekoya had 01 vote while Adeyemi Duduyemi did not record any vote.
Dissatisfied with the outcome and upon the claim by Hon. Adekoya that he won the party’s ticket, Ogunjobi approached the Federal High Court, Abeokuta to seek redress.
The court, at its previous sitting, adjourned the matter to June 29, 2022 for definite hearing.
However, on Sunday, concerned PDP members raised the alarm over plot to hold a fresh primary during the pendency of litigation.
The party members insisted that the time of primaries had passed, according to the electoral guidelines, adding that “any backdoor arrangement by desperate persons to supplant the already conducted primary election will never stand the test of legal scrutiny.”
They accused some unnamed persons at the PDP National Secretariat of conniving with the Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives to issue a fresh result after all their schemes over the initial primary election had hit the rocks.
They, however, called on the PDP national leadership not to be hoodwinked by the antics of those bent on conducting kangaroo primary election, saying “the mandate has already been won and the law should be allowed to take its course.”
The June 26, 2022 petition read, “We, the undersigned, write on behalf of concerned members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State to alert our party’s national leadership, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to the desperate plan to organise a fresh secret primary election for the Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency.
“The planned primary is scheduled to hold at a location in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state. This fraudulent exercise is coming after a valid primary election had already been conducted on May 23, 2022 and a winner declared in person of Hon. Kehinde Bello.
“In the duly signed results of the primary election, Hon. Kehinde Bello polled 58 votes to defeat four other aspirants in the contest. The results also showed that Tele Ogunjobi polled 38 votes to emerge second; Sunday Adegbesan got 02 votes; Adesegun Adekoya had 01 vote while Adeyemi Duduyemi did not record any vote.
“Although we are aware that some aggrieved persons have gone to court to challenge the primary, we believe that the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, must be allowed to conclude the process of determining the legality or otherwise of the primary election. The time of primaries has passed, according to the electoral guidelines. Therefore, any backdoor arrangement by desperate persons to supplant the already conducted primary election will never stand the test of legal scrutiny.
“We are aware that the current Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adesegun Adekoya, is actively sponsoring some party members to organise this questionable primary election in the hope that he would rely on its results to validate his claim to the PDP ticket for the federal constituency. This is the height of desperation!
“Some of our party members in Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Ogun Waterside local government areas have been secretly contacted and financially induced to partake in this plot to subvert the will of the people. Hon. Adekoya had hitherto been going about and feigning happiness over non-existent ticket. His basis for drafting many unsuspecting party members into perfidy is to ensure he has a documentary evidence to tender that he actually won a primary election.
“We are aware of the plan to backdate the time of the impending primary election and present same as evidence before the relevant authorities. Curiously, his cohorts at the PDP National Secretariat have concluded arrangement to issue him a fresh result after all their schemes have hit the rocks. This is a joke taken too far and it will never fly.
“While we salute the courage of our ever-vigilant members, we call on the PDP national leadership and our leaders not to be hoodwinked by the antics of those bent on conducting kangaroo primary election in Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency. The mandate has already been won and the law should be allowed to take its course.”