People ‘ll vote Jegede, but I’ll be the candidate to be sworn in – Ibrahim

Jimoh Ibrahim, the embattled factional governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has boasted that although people in Ondo state will vote for Eyitayo Jegede in the Saturday governorship poll, yet he (Ibrahim) will be the authentic candidate that will be sworn in as governor in February, 2017.

Ibrahim, who spoke at a Press Conference in his country home at Igbotako in Okitipupa local government area of the state on Thursday night, argued that “there is no Consequential Court Order warranting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove his name from the list of contestants in the Saturday governorship election.

It will be recalled that a unanimous judgment delivered by the 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 a five-man panel of the Supreme Court led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onoghen 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.

The embattled factional governorship candidate said “there is no superior court order for substitution of Jimoh Ibrahim” and as such, he remains the PDP governorship candidate, since he was brought in by court judgment, boasting that he would approach the Supreme Court if INEC removes his name.”

While recalling relevant River state saga in which Clestine Omeiha was voted as governor of River state but ruled that he usurped Rotimi Amaechi’s ticket for governorship seat, Ibrahim boasts, “I will reclaim my mandate if PDP wins and I will be sworn in as the State governor in February next year.”

For governorship poll postponement call made by Eyitayo Jegede’s faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) earlier on Thursday, the businessman turned politician did not support postponement of the governorship poll, saying “there is nothing on ground to warrant its shift.”