The senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, has said he remains the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State.
He, therefore, asked the party’s National Working Committee to uphold the rule of law by aligning with the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission recognising him as the party’s validly nominated candidate of the party in the March 2 governorship election.
He said INEC’s position on the party’s candidates was in line with several judgments and orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.
Kashamu, who spoke with journalists in Lagos on Saturday, said contrary to reports, the Federal High Court, Lagos on June 24, 2018, delivered a judgment authenticating the Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP executive as the only lawful body to conduct activities of the state PDP.
Kashamu said till date, the judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court had yet to be upturned. He said that was the reason the FCT High Court, Abuja, on January 14, 2019 dismissed a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Oladipupo Adebutu, in which he wanted the court to declare him the party’s state governorship candidate.
Kashamu said, “The fact must be reiterated that in spite of the shenanigans of the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee, I am the lawful governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State. I am the candidate known to the law and majority of the party leaders and members.
“I am God’s candidate and the candidate of the masses. In a case filed by Ladi Adebutu himself, the FCT High Court on January 14, 2019, held that although the national leadership of the PDP is the right body to conduct primaries, it was done in flagrant disobedience of subsisting court judgments in our favour.”
Kashamu, who also reacted to claims by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, that the PDP would continue to recognise Adebutu as candidate, said the party was committing illegality and impunity by affirming its support for Adebutu.
Also speaking, Kashamu’s running mate, Dr Reuben Abati, said Kashamu was in the race to win the election, adding that anyone acting or promoting any other candidate or list in Ogun PDP was only doing so in contempt of the court ruling.
