Jimoh Ibrahim, the embattled factional governorship candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday governorship poll engaged in a die minute campaign for All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, saying he is the only candidate who “possesses mentality, competence, readiness and moral amplitude to lead Ondo state.”
It will be recalled that a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led three-man special panel of the Appellate Court, vacated the June 29 judgement of the Justice Okon Abang-led Federal High Court in Abuja that ordered the INEC to recognise Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP gubernatorial candidate, which compelled INEC to recognise Eyitayo Jegede instead of Jimoh Ibrahim.
A follow-up judgement in which five-man panel of Supreme Court led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onoghen, on Thursday, also quashed all pending appeals relating to the candidacy of the PDP for Saturday poll and referred all the pending cases relating to leadership dispute between Ali Modu Sherif and Ahmed Makarfi factions of PDP back to Court of Appeal.
Ibrahim, engaged in anti-party conduct as a sharp response to his being dropped by both Appellate and Supreme Court’s, when he held a nocturnal meeting with his factional PDP leaders and members, asking them to scuttle Jegede’s chance of becoming the governor by voting for Rotimi Akeredolu of APC.
Apart from the nocturnal meeting he held early Saturday with his factional PDP leaders and members, he also issued out a personally-signed statement to his supporters in Ondo state and through his twitter handle, asking people, including “Kabiyesis, civil servants, workers union, religious leaders to work hard for and mobilise votes for Akeredolu.”
The statement issued by Ibrahim and entitled “PDP, Vote for Akeredolu”, wholly reads, “Having considered all the candidates asking for the job of Government of Ondo state, I have come to the conclusion that only Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, of the APC possesses the right mentality, competence, readiness and moral amplitude to lead Ondo state.
“I am therefore directing all our PDP party leaders, ward evangelists and unit canvassers, supporters as well as all the non politician society leaders who are working with us, including Kabiyesis, civil servants, workers union, religious leaders to work hard for and mobilise votes for our brother and friend, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, of APC.
“You are you invest all your energies and capabilities to legitimately ensure that our brother, Akeredolu, emerges victorious in your units and wards, and by extension, the entire state.
“It is a known fact that Akeredolu will never tell a lie to you nor appropriate state powers and privileges to himself for selfish pleasures. I have always said that the task to develop Ondo state begins with the type of leader we hire for the job. It’s time to act right.”
But, one of Ibrahim’s factional PDP, whom I directed to vote Akeredolu and APC, Ojo Adeleke from Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state, said, “it was unfortunate that we blindly followed Jimoh Ibrahim in the first instance, and he had successfully destroyed our party (PDP) in connivance with APC and federal government.
“It is now dawned on us that he (Ibrahim) played APC and Buhari’s script to scuttle PDP and Jegede’s chance in this election.”
RAZAQ AYINLA, Akure
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