Ondo state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has accused the Independent
National Electoral Commission, (INEC) of an orchestrated plot to ensure victory
in Saturday
governorship election for the candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, (APC), Rotimi Akeredolu.
Addressing a gathering of his party supporters in Akure, the Ondo state
capital, governor Mimiko enunciated hurdles which he claimed were meant to
arm-twist the PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede.
Restating his party’s demand for the shift of the poll, governor Mimiko
submitted that PDP candidate whose ticket was restored on Wednesday by the
judgment of the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court was being denied ample
opportunity to seek for votes of Ondo electorate which he noted was a
contravention of the electoral act.
He said: ‘’ For the avoidance of doubt, this ungodly process started when
INEC, in a flagrant disregard of extant laws guiding elections, removed the
name of Eyitayo Jegede on the basis of a Justice Abang order that has since
been declared as a fraud by the Supreme Court and the Court of appeal. We
wonder why INEC would remove the name of a man who emerged on a party primary
that was conducted in a free, fair and open environment, and by legitimate
organs of the party, INEC. It is elementary, in the electoral Act, primaries of
governorship elections as prescribed, was supposed to have taken place in the
capital city of Akure here. Eyitayo Jegede emerged in the process that took
place in Akure here. Yet, another person who claimed to be a member of this
party who had since been declared as an impostor , went to Ibadan, middle of
the night, to hold what they tagged primary election and INEC, in their own
wisdom quote and unquote, decided to remove the name of Jegede and substituted
it with the name of Jimoh Ibrahim. ‘’INEC disregarded all legal advice, not to
substitute Eyitayo Jegede by his own chosen committee of lawyers. INEC, has a
consortium of Senior Advocates that advises it, that consortium, clearly
advised in a written document, that INEC, should under no condition , not
substitute the name of Jegede, because Eyitayo Jegede was the legal and proper
candidate of PDP
‘’Several other hurdles were place on the way of PDP candidate, to the
extent that he did not become a candidate until about 48 hours before his own
election.
‘’On October 27, Eyitayo Jegedes name was removed, judgment eventually
came on the way of Jegede just last Wednesday, it wasn’t until Thursday that
eventfully INEC brought out the name of Eyitayo Jegede, on the ballot papers,
that is less than 48 hours to the election. INEC did not release the list of
voters’ register to PDP until yesterday, a clear infraction of its own laws. In
a free and fair contest, INEC is supposed to have released the electoral
register so that the candidate can actually know and a party can be properly
organized, under the electoral Act and clearly spelt out by INEC guidelines, a
nominated candidate should have his name published at least 30 days before
election. INEC denied Eyitayo Jegede the right to submit the list of his party
agents, which according to section 45 of the electoral Act, he is supposed to
submit his party agents list which according to section 37 of electoral Act, he
supposed to submit the list of his party agents at least seven days before
election. A day to election now, Eyitayo Jegede and PDP are not sure of who are
parading themselves as party agents. ‘’In fact, we got information yesterday
that some so called party agents of PDP held a meeting somewhere in Akoko and
agreed to work with APC. Those are clearly not our agents. Those are agents of
a candidate that has been described as an impostor in our party. sunnewsonline
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