Ondo 2020: PDP likely to postpone governorship primary over delegates list crisis

★★★ As allegations Against Ondo Deputy Governor deepened

There are indications that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) may be forced to postpone the party’s governorship primary election by two more days, it was gathered on Monday night.

This development came as the NWC is saodntobhave commenced moves to sanction the deputy governor of Ondo State following allegations linking him with the alteration of the state ad hoc delegates list ahead of the primaries.

A member of the PDP NWC confided in our correspondent that the party was shocked by revelations coming from emissaries sent to the state ahead of the governorship primary.

The leadership of the party reportedly frowned at the attitude of the deputy governor who was said to have shunned the investigative panel on the matter that has polarised the party a few days to the primary.

“We are shocked at the magnitude of revelations coming from the State. Initially, we thought the cold shoulders given by the leaders of the party a few days to the coming of the deputy governor was out of envy and may be he was just a threat.

“But from all indications, events in the last few days are baffling and really confounding to us all. At this point, we never expected the deputy governor to engage in such acts, especially as he just joined our party.

“We will not be tired of intervening but if it lingers, we may be forced to postpone by may be two  days in order for us to manage the crisis and stop it from deepening further.

“Unfortunately, while we expected the deputy Governor to attend to the panel headed by the former governor of Gombe, he shunned the panels  and that itself is unacceptable to us.

“Although we are yet to receive the report of the panel, we have also resolved to invite the deputy Governor out of courtesy, to come and explain his own side because the allegations are very weighty and pointed.

“But if he fails to turn up to clear his name, we might be forced to deploy the big stick through some sanctions because no one is bigger than the party,” he said.

The Deputy governor had last week  denied various allegations leveled against him over the recent protest by some aggrieved members of the PDP on the alleged alterations of delegate list ahead of the party’s primary.

The attention of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Agboola Ajayi has been drawn to some malicious videos and writings on the various social media platforms alleging that the Deputy Governor invaded the venue of the collations of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) ward and Local Government Congresses – Heritage Hotel Ijapo on 9th July,2020, to influence of the outcome of the results.

We’re not surprised. The Deputy Governor has become the nightmare of his political adversaries within PDP and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the state because of his political capital and rising  acceptance popularity.

For purposes of clarity and unsuspecting members of the public who may be hoodwinked in this celebrate falsehood, the Deputy Governor never visited the venue of the Congress. Not even when all the aspirants were invited on 9th July,2020.

We therefore urge the general public and committed members of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) to disregard in entirety these panicking measures employed by the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN and his allies in the PDP to pull down the Deputy Governor at all cost.

Please be rest assured that political train of the Deputy Governor is on the right tracks and will not be distracted by cheap blackmails. ”

Similarly , the embattled Deputy Governor, dissociated himself from the allegations, saying that the national leadership of the party that sent a committee to conduct delegates election were the custodians of the list not him.

The Deputy Governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo said, “the truth of the matter is that Agboola Ajayi is not a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP and could not have influenced the ‘doctored’ list if it exists at all.

Okeowo said, “It must be noted that it is the National leadership of PDP that sent a committee to see to the conduct of delegate election and they are the custodian of the list and not the Deputy Governor.

“Any complaint about the list of delegates should be channeled to the appropriate quarter instead of blaming the Deputy Governor.

“It must be mentioned that Agboola Ajayi has no quarrel with any of the PDP aspirants as it is left for the delegates to chose among the qualified aspirants of the party to fly the flag of the party in October 10, 2020 election.

“Agboola Ajayi has said it repeatedly that he is not desperate for the ticket of the party. Anything to the contrary is mischief and attempt to playing to hands of the opposition ahead of the election,” Okeowo said.

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