The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • Ex-Speaker declares governorship bid in Ekiti

    …Says Fayose’s days are numbered
    Former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Olufemi Bamisile, has declared his intention to run for the governorship seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Bamisile who held a rally in Ado Ekiti, the state capital on Monday to mark the end of his eighteen-month tour to all the 177 wards in 124 towns and villages said the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration has failed to live up to expectation.

    The former Speaker advised Governor Ayo Fayose to start packing his personal effects from the Ado Ekiti Government House saying “a movement to enthrone a people-oriented APC-led government has commenced.”

    He boasted that a “political hurricane” would soon blow Fayose and his “government of deceit” away accusing the governor of unleashing more hardship on the people through harsh policies, misplacement of priorities, poverty of ideas and government by impulse.”

    Bamisile had earlier held a rally at Okeyinmi Roundabout in the heart of the town from where the train moved to the APC secretariat at Ajilosun where he addressed the state party executive led by the Deputy Chairman, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye.

    He was accompanied to the party secretariat by his campaign team, otherwise known as TEAM BAFEM, women groups, youth, commercial motorcycle riders, among others.

    The ex-Speaker stressed that his ward-to-ward tour revealed that the people in the grassroots have been made poorer by the PDP regime which he said failed to address their standard of living. He said Fayose’s days in power are numbered.

    He described the APC as the party with the right manifesto to turn around the fortunes of Ekiti which he alleged has nosedived under Fayose accusing the governor of failing to build on the achievements of his immediate predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    Addressing the members of the State Working Committee at the APC secretariat, Bamisile unfolded his Octopus Agenda for Human Capital Development which he described as his treaty with the good people of the state.

    The Octopus Agenda, according to Bamisile, has eight legs which include agriculture, infrastructure development, economic and industrial development, education, health sector development, security, social security and governance.

    He urged the leadership of the APC in the state to organize a transparent, free and fair primary for all aspirants aiming to run for governor expressing confidence that he would clinch the ticket to fly the party’s flag in the 2018 poll.

    Bamisile disclosed that he is working with the Ekiti in Diaspora to attract investment to the state noting that many of them had signified interest to work with him and launch the state on the path of sustainable development.

    Responding, Mrs. Olaleye, described Bamisile as a loyal party man who is passionate about the development of the state.

    She said the APC was poised to reclaim power in Ekiti judging by the number of key political actors joining the party on daily basis.

    Mrs. Olaleye promised that the state exco would be fair to all aspirants seeking its ticket urging them to be more loyal to the party for the dream of regaining power to be a reality.

     

  • Ogun PDP crisis: Party expels Daniel, Adebutu, others

    Ogun PDP crisis: Party expels Daniel, Adebutu, others

    Crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened on Saturday as the party expelled former Governor Gbenga Daniel, House of Representatives member, Hon. Ladi Adebutu and factional chairman, Sikirullai Ogundele, from its fold.

    Also expelled is the factional state Secretary, Tolu Bankole.

    The party said the decision to expel Daniel, Adebutu, Ogundele and other was predicated on the need to rescue the state chapter from total collapse, following the alleged anti – party activities of the trio to “continually undermine and destroy” it.

    Addressing reporters at the State Secretariat of PDP on IBB Boulevard, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the Chairman, Engr. Bayo Dayo, said they couldn’t continue  to fold their hands and allow the quartet to pull down the house before relocating to another political party.

    Dayo declared that the expulsion is “subject to no appeal or consideration as the four people are incurably cancerous to the PDP” and that they “are better off without them.”

    “The State Executive Committee have examined their actions and concluded that it is continually inimical to the sustenance and progress of the PDP in Ogun state.

    “We shall not allow them to destroy our party before migrating to another one.

    “Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Sikirulai Ogundele and Tolu Bankole are guilty of acts of insubordination, the willful undermining of the party and antiparty activities.

    “They are hereby EXPELLED from the party and cease to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state and the entire Federation,” Dayo said.

    According to him, the Executives shall continue to instil discipline in the party while working to also reposition it for future electoral success.

    It should be recalled that the faction of the party where Sikirullai Ogundele is the Chairman, had last Friday  suspended Engr. Bayo Dayo, Senator Buruji Kashamu, Zonal Secretary, Chief Pegba Otemolu and others from Ogun PDP, alleging anti – party activities of the trio as the reason for the suspension.

  • PDP, SDP, AA members defect to AD in Ondo.

    PDP, SDP, AA members defect to AD in Ondo.

    Ahead of saturday’s governorship election in Ondo state, scores of members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) on Tuesday joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo state.

    The defectors said the decision to dump their former parties was based on their conviction that only the AD government could rescue the state from the hopelessness currently being experienced by the people of the state.

    They were received into the AD by the party’s governorship candidate in Saturday’s election, Chief Olusola Oke, at his campaign grand finale at the Democracy Park, Akure, the state capital.

    The AA national secretary, Kenneth Eze, announced the collapsed of the party’s structure in the state into the AD.

    The governorship candidate of the party, Yinka Orokoto, also declared that he had stepped down for the AD standard bearer.
    Leading the PDP defectors was a two-term member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Akindele Adeniyi.

    The former PDP members including the two-term lawmaker representing Akure North Constituency,Akindele Adeniyi explained the party had collapsed in the state, saying the only option for them was the AD.

    The AD national chairman, Chief Joseph Avazi, called on people of the state to vote for the candidate of the party in the election.

    Avazi said the AD government would serve the state, adding that only the party could ensure the desired change.

    Oke, who warned against any attempt to manipulate the poll, however, said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in state, Segun Agbaje, had given assurance that the wish of the people would prevail.

    The AD candidate urged people of the state to come out to vote for him and his running mate, Hon. Gani Dauda, on the Election Day.

    He said: “We’ve came to repair. We’re  also come to prevent further destruction of the good legacies of our former leaders.

    “There are electric poles but no light. There are boreholes but no water. There are graduates but no jobs. This is unacceptable. It is on this note that that AD has come to restore the glory of the state.

    “Our economy will be revived. AD government will eradicate poverty. We shall build on what Papa Ajasin, Chief Adefarati and Dr. Agagu built. Our mission is to create wealth and generate employment.”

    Also the Iyaloja-General of Ondo state,Mrs Folasade Ojo urged her members to come out and vote massively for Oke on saturday.

    She said market men and women would benefit more under the government of Olusola Oke,who she described as transparent and humble,if elected.

    The Director- General (DG) Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation (OOCO) Bola Ilori warned the APC mafia boasting of rigging the coming election to desist in order to prevent anarchy in the state regarded as politically volatile.

  • Ondo: Supreme Court approves delivery of withheld judgments

    Ondo: Supreme Court approves delivery of withheld judgments

    …Appeal Court’s panel may deliver judgments today

     

    The Supreme Court Tuesday directed the special panel of the Court of Appeal hearing the various appeals on the disputes over the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its choice of candidate in Ondo State to resume its suspended proceedings.

    A five-man panel of the apex court led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, in a unanimous decision, shortly after ruling on a motion by some members of the PDP state executives in the Southwest states led by the party’s factional Chairman in Ondo, Biyi Pororye, directed the panel of the Appeal Court to resume its suspended proceedings and deliver pending judgments and rulings.

    The three-man panel led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa had on November 18 suspended proceedings to await the directive of the Supreme Court on when to resume proceedings.

    Justice Saulawa had, while announcing the suspension, said judgments in the appeals by the substituted PDP candidate in Ondo, Eyitayo Jegede (marked: CA/A/551C/2016) and that by factional leaders of the party, Ahmed Makarfi and Ben Obi (CA/A/551/2016) and other businesses of the panel in relation to all the cases will be suspended pending the decision of the Supreme Court on a motion of stay of proceedings pending before it.

    At the Supreme Court yesterday, Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN), lawyer to the nine appellants/applicants, led by the factional Chairman of PDP in Ondo, Biyi Poroye, applied to withdraw the motion he had filed asking the Supreme Court to order a stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal pending the determination of his client’s appeals.

    Respondents lawyers, including Wole Olanipekun (SAN) did not object to Nwofor’s application to withdraw his motion, but urged the court to dismiss it rather than striking out the application, on the grounds that parties have joined issues on the motion.

    In a brief ruling, Justice Onnoghen dismissed the motion for stay of proceedings, a decision supported by other members of the five-man panel.

    Nwofor consequently argued his other motion seeking among others an order voiding the proceedings on the Appeal Court’s panel conducted on November 16 (during which it heard the appeal by Jegede); an order disbanding the panel and an order restraining its members from proceeding with its scheduled judgments.

    He argued that by refusing to stay proceedings, members of the panel – Justices Saulawa, Ignatius Agube and Goerge Mbaba – “have betrayed their oath of office in their deliberate refusal to be bound by the principles of judicial precedent and stare decisis and refused to be bound by their own Rulings delivered on November, 8,2016 in appeal marked: CA/A/402/2016: People’s Democratic Party v. Chief Benson Akingboye and ors, and CA/A/402A/2016 by Sen Ahmed Makarfi vs Chief Benson Akingboye and ors.”

    Nwofor furher argued that the panel’s continued conduct of proceedings, despite being aware of an appeal pending at the Supreme Court, the pendency of a motion for stay of proceedings and the fact that the appeal had been entered, amounted to ” flagrant and blatant breach of the doctrine of lis pendens, stare decisis and violation of required respect of the Supreme Court.”

    In their counter arguments, lawyers to the respondents, including Olanipekun, faulted Nwofor’s motion and urged the court to dismiss it on the grounds that its prayers were not only ungrantable, the inclusion of the names of the Justices of the Court of Appeal as individual parties in the motion was wrong.

    Ruling, the court upheld the arguments by Olanipekun and others and dismissed the motion for lacking in merit. It described the motion as part of the applicants’ pranks to continue to frustrate proceedings in the case

    The court awarded N500, 000 cost in favour of each of the respondents. It also ordered Nwofor to pay personally, N1m, as cost, to each of the Justices of the Appeal Court’s panel, for suing them in their personal capacity.

    Justice Onnoghen, in the lead ruling, said: “I have observed that earlier in the proceedings this morning, learned senior counsel for the appellants/applicants, B.E. I. Nwofor (SAN) had applied for the withdrawal of the motion for stay of proceedings in the lower court, which motion was consequently dismissed by the court as issues had been joined by the parties thereto before the withdrawal.

    “The above being the case, it is very clear, and I agree with the submissions of learned senior counsel for 1st respondent, Chief Olanipekun (SAN) that the dismissal of the motion for stay of proceedings, on which the orders in this motion in question were predicated, has rendered the prayers 1 to 3 there in academic and liable to be discountenanced.

    “Secondly, it is on record that applicants have joined the 5th to 7th respondents, who are honourable Justices of the Court of Appeal, who were constituted by the appropriate authorities of that court, to hear and determine the matter in the lower, in their personal capacities in this motion. They were not parties before the lower court and whatever they did was in their official capacity, as it is judicial officers performing their official duties.

    “The joining of the Justices in this manner is not only in attempt to intimidate and scandalise the court, but to put it mildly, in very bad taste. And should consequently be discouraged. It is settled law that judicial officers enjoy immunity in the performance of their judicial functions and are not liable to be subjected to this kind of intimidation

    “It is on record that applicants have earlier petitioned an earlier panel constituted to hear the matter, as a result of which the present panel was constituted by the President of the Court of Appeal. If the applicants are allowed, in the circumstance, to continue with these pranks, there will be no end in sight, and it will not augur well for the development of democracy and administration of justice in this country.

    “In the circumstance, I find not merit, whatsoever in the motion. I consequently dismiss same with the cost of N500, 000 to each set of the respondents represented by Chief Olanipekun (SAN) and Robert Emukperuo in each of the applications.

    It is further ordered that the cost of N1m is hereby awarded in favour of 5th to 7th, 3rd to 5th and 4th to 6th respondents respectively in each of the application in SC/947/2016, SC/950/2016 and SC/952/2016 to be paid personally by BEI Nwofor (SAN),” Justice Onnoghen said.

    The Acting CJN, who noted that 14 different appeals were currently before the court in relation to the issues pending before the Appeal Court’s panel, directed that the panel be allowed to continue and conclude all pending proceedings before it to allow for a clearer picture of the main issues to be resolved by the Supreme Court.

    “The lower court must proceed with the hearing and determination of the matters before it forthwith. The panel (of the Court of Appeal) is to continue with the matters forthwith. A decision must be reached in the cases. If you come back here, we will confine ourselves to the main business,” Justice Onnohnen said.

    He consequently adjourned to November 24 for hearing of the pending appeals.

    Meawhile, it was learnt Tuesday that the Justice Saulawa-led panel may deliver its suspended judgments and rulings today.

    The Nation learnt yesterday that in view of the fact that time was of the essence and that the Ondo governorship election will hold this Saturday, the Court of Appeal panel cannot afford to delay its decisions any further.

    A lawyer in the case, who did not want to be named, said “we are hopeful that the panel will render its decisions Wednesday This is because of the need for us to have this issue resolved before the election.”

    When The Nation visited the Court of Appeal in Abuja yesterday evening the ceremonial court, being used by the panel, was lacked. An official told The nation that parties would be notified beforehand when the panel was ready to deliver its judgments. He said he could not rule out the possibility of the judgments being delivered Wednesday.

     

     

  • Abia PDP treasurer Steve Omeoga is dead

    Abia PDP treasurer Steve Omeoga is dead

    It was a tragic week for the Abia state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as it’s treasurer, Chief Steve Omeoga has been confirmed dead as he slumped during a lawn tennis game in one of the sports clubs in Umuahia.

    The death of Omeoga is coming fees weeks after the party lost one of its members, Patience Monday Oroni in a ghastly motor accident while returning home after submitting her nomination form for the December 17 local government election.

    The death of Omeoga came to those who know him a s huge surprise including the club members who witnessed his death, as it was reported that he was looking hale and hearty when he came for the tennis game.

    According to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, he said that Omeoga came into the club for the game in a happy and cheering mood and ordered for two cartoons of beer for members which they were drinking while the game was going on.

    The source said that after the game that he was noticed to have sat down on the lawn tennis court which made people to think that he was exhausted as it was usual after tennis game, members raised alarm when they noticed that he was losing consciousness.

    He said that efforts were made by club members who were around to revive him before rushing him to the federal medical centre where doctors battled to revive him but was later confirmed dead.

    The state publicity secretary of the party, Chief Don Ubani in statement confirmed the death of the party official, describing it as very unfortunate as the party has lost one of its shining executive members.

    The party secretariat in the state capital has been in mourning mood since the news of the demise of the state treasurer was announced, reminding one of the death of several members of the party some three years ago in a motors accident while returning from conducting party primaries in Anambra state.

  • Ondo: Appeal Court withholds judgment in Jegede’s appeal

    Ondo: Appeal Court withholds judgment in Jegede’s appeal

    …To await Supreme Court’s directive

     

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has withheld its judgment in the appeal filed by the substituted governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).

    Jegede had appealed the decision of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to substitute his name (Jegede’s) for Jimoh Ibrahim as the party’s candidate for the election scheduled for November 26.

    The Justice Ibrahim Saulawa led three-man special appeal panel, which heard the appeal marked: CA/A/551C/2016 and other appeals relating to the Ondo PDP dispute, had scheduled judgment for 12noon Friday (today) in the Jegede appeal.

    Parties and all in court were however surprised when, upon resumption of proceedings, Justice Saulawa said the judgement and all other issues would be suspended until the Supreme Court decides a motion for stay of proceedings pending before it.

    Justice Saulawa, who cited a fresh motion filed Thursday before the Supreme Court by nine individuals led by the factional Chairman of PDP in Ondo, Biyi Poroye challenging the refusal of the appeal panel to stay proceedings, said his panel will await the decision of the Supreme Court on the pending application for stay of proceedings.

    Jegede and all his supporters, who formed the majority of the court’s audience, were unhappy about the court’s pronouncement.

    ‎Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has fixed next Tuesday for the hearing of the motion for stay of proceedings filed by the nine respondents led by Poroye.

    They are by the motion, seeking the stay of further proceedings by the appeal ‎panel pending the determination by the Supreme Court, of an appeal by the Poroye group against the panel’s ruling granting leave to Jegede, Ahmed Makarfi and Ben Obi to appeal the June 29 judgement and October 14 ruling by Justice Abang.

  • Appeal Court reserves judgment in Jegede’s appeal against Ibrahim

    Appeal Court reserves judgment in Jegede’s appeal against Ibrahim

    A Special 3-man panel of the Court of Appeal constituted to hear the appeals on the dispute of governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has reserved judgment in the appeal by the substituted candidate of the party, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).

    The panel, led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa told parties Wednesday that they would be informed when the judgment was ready.

    Jegede appealed the October 14, 2016 ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to substitute Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.

    Justice Saulawa’s announcement elicited complaint from the camp of the respondents comprising state’s executive of the PDP in the South West (loyal to the Ali Modu Sheriff leadership of the party), led by Biyi Poroye, Chairman, PDP, Ondo State.

    Their lawyer argued that Jegede’s lawyer was allowed to adopt the appellant’s brief where the respondents were yet to file their reqponsents’ brief as required and to allow the court hear from both sides.

    Respondents’ lawyer, Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN) had argued that the court could not hear the substantive appeal in view of the pending appeal at the Supreme Court.

    He told the Appeal Court panel that his clients have appealed its earlier ruling granting leave to Jegede to appeal and that they have also filed a motion for stay of proceedings before the Supreme Court.

    Nwofor, who tendered certified true copies of the record of appeal and motion for stay of proceedings, urged the court to abide by the long held tradition of deferring to a higher court once an appeal is entered and record of appeal compiled.

    He argued that since their appeal was entered at the Supreme Court and a motion for stay of proceedings also pending before the apex court, the appellate panel has lost jurisdiction to proceed with the appeal by Jegede.

    “We have asked this court to hands off and await the Supreme Court’s decision on our motion for stay of proceedings. This court has lost the jurisdiction to proceed with this appeal. It should await the decision of the Supreme Court.

    Appellant’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) faulted Nwofor’s argument and urged the court to proceed to hear his cleint’s appeal.

    He argued that, for his client, time was of the essence because by the new provision of the Electoral Act, a person, who did not participate in all process of an election cannot challenge its outcome.

    Justice Saulawa however overruled Nwofor, noting that the court had, on November 10, 2016 granted an accelerated hearing in the case, abridged the time within which parties are to file their processes and a departure from the rules.

    Shortly after the judge’s spoke, Olanipekun adopted his client’s appellant’s brief and urged the court to allow the appeal.

    Nwofor, who expressed surprise at the development, said his clients had been shot out. He said the court failed to abide by tradition where appeals are entered.

    As Justice Saulawa announced the reservation of judgment, supporters of Jimoh Ibrahim and Sheriff, who occupied a section of the court, began to murmur.

    Meanwhile the court has adjourned to 12noon today to enable Poroye and other respondents in the appeal by Senators Ahmed Makarfi and Ben Obi to file their respondents’ briefs.

    Makarfi and Obi are appealing the June 29 judgement of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja recognising the Sheriff-led National Executive Council of the PDP as the party’s authentic leadership body.

    The court, in two separate rulings Wednesday, refused applications by Ibrahim to be made a party in both appeals.

     

  • We may lose Ondo guber election unless… – PDP member

    We may lose Ondo guber election unless… – PDP member

    A member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jude Idimogu, on Tuesday warned that his party might lose Ondo State to another party if its leaders failed to unite before the governorship poll.

    Idimogu, a lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja.

    He spoke as two factions of the party continued a legal battle over the party’s candidate in the forthcoming election.

    The Ondo governorship election comes up on Nov. 26 and a faction of the party led by Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi is in court to upturn the candidacy of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim in the poll.

    Ibrahim, a member of the Sen. Ali-Modu Sheriff faction, had been recognised as the PDP candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following a court order directing it to do so.

    The Sheriff faction had earlier declared Jimoh winner of a primary election it conducted.

    The court order had left the Makarfi faction aggrieved, as the court decision displaced Mr Eyitayo Jegede, who had emerged winner in a separate primary election it also conducted and whose name it had also sent to INEC.

    The Makarfi faction is still trying to upturn the court decision, with the election barely two weeks away.

    Idimogu said that the court was not the best place to settle the matter with the election knocking at the door, urging the leaders to sheath their swords and unite in the interest of the party.

    He said that failure to do so, would spell doom for the party at the poll.

    “Our party is not organised and we will pay dearly for this again in Ondo if we allow crises to linger on. We are the ones to solve our own problems.

    “Our elders should bury the hatchet. Let them sit down together and agree on best solutions. Sincerely, I am not happy with the situation of things.

    “It is sad that our party is still in this situation few days to the election.

    “If we lose Ondo State again, it will be bad for the party. We cannot continue like this and expect a radiant future for the party,” he said.

    The lawmaker urged the national leadership of the party to encourage the young people in the party by getting over the crisis quickly.

    He pleaded with all stakeholders in the party to do away with personal interests for the collective interest.

    “Let our leaders help those who are relatively young in the party by putting things in order. There is no more time to delay putting our house in order,” he said.

  • Abia North: Court upholds Ohuabunwa’s victory

    The Appeal Court sitting in Owerri under the chairmanship of Justice Jimmy Bada has upheld the judgement of the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, Umuahia, Abia state which validated the election of Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected senator for Abia North.

    In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed the appeal of the former Abia Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu, who was the candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA.

    Recall that in September, the National Assembly tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Uzor Kalu for lack of merit.

    Dismissing the petition, in his over eight hours judgment, the Tribunal chairman, Mr. Justice James Abundaga, ruled that Kalu failed to prove some of his allegations that Ohuabunwa was not elected by majority of lawful votes, that voting was inconclusive in some wards, evidence of over-voting, thuggery, voting by many unregistered voters, harassment of voters among others.

    According to the result announced by INEC, Ohuabunwa polled 26,009 votes followed by Kalu’s 25,814, APGA’s Bourdex Onuoha 13,692 while the All Progressives Congress, Nnenna Nma Lancaster-Okoro, got 916.

  • PDP crisis won’t stop Ondo governorship election – Lalong

    PDP crisis won’t stop Ondo governorship election – Lalong

    …Says only INEC can stop election

    Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong on Tuesday said that the crisis hitting the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State will not halt the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

    According to him, only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can stop the election from holding based on security issues.

    He therefore advised PDP in the state to put its house in order.

    The governor spoke with State House correspondents after meeting Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    On the threats by Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko that elections can’t go on in a situation where the state is in crisis, Lalong said: “Well I don’t like joining issues with the incumbent because he is not contesting election, he is not the candidate for Ondo. I have said here that if they have issues within their party they should go and resolve that issue within PDP. This is not a PDP matter. In that election it’s not only PDP that is contesting election, other political parties are engaged in contesting the election and the chief electoral officer is the INEC.

    “If INEC comes and says we are not going to conduct election because of some security issues, we will accept. But as far as we are concerned, we are not worried about what other political parties would say. For APC we are ready to contest the election we have a candidate and we are going into the elections in November.

    “For us, our party is ready for election in Ondo state, infact we are flagging off our campaigns on Thursday so we are very ready,” he added.

    On the purpose of his visit to the Vice President, he said that he came to discuss issues concerning his state.

    “My meeting with the vice president is not about election. I just came in to see the VP on other state engagements like issues on agriculture, school feeding programme because the Vice President is the chairman on the school feeding programme,” he stated.