Ondo guber: PDP begs INEC to postpone election

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Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

The Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)‎ has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the scheduled November 26 gubernatorial election in Ondo state.

The Spokesman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye in a statement on Saturday explained that the call for poll shift ‎became necessary due to a pending suit regarding the candidature of the party at the Supreme Court.

‎Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim and Eyitayo Jegede are locked up in a legal tussle with both of them claiming to be the PDP candidate for the election having emerged from the party's primary elections conducted by the Makarfi and Sheriff-led factions at different times.

‎The party also explained that the call is against the backdrop of the fact that INEC postponed the Edo State governorship election and recently postponed the Rivers Re-run elections without "any cogent or visible reason.‎"

It said the adjournment of the suit to determine the authentic candidate of the PDP for the Ondo election by the Court of Appeal pending the determination of the suit before the Supreme Court was part of the plan to use the Judicial process, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) "to rig" the election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

"We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to urge the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government to desist from the use of organs of the Nigerian State as a tool with which to subvert the will of the Nigerian people.

"At this point, we must urge all Nigerians to hold the federal government, INEC, APC and the Jimoh Ibrahim group for any consequences of the dangerous games that they have chosen to play with the Nigerian people.

"We call on INEC to postpone the Election pending the determination of the Suit before the Supreme Court. We make this call against the backdrop of the fact that INEC is a party to the suit before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and is well aware of the steps taken by certain parties to the Suit to frustrate the course of justice.

"We urge the Justices of the Supreme Court to stand fast in the face of this existential threat to the independence of the Judiciary and democracy itself. We urge the Justices of the Supreme Court to remember the maxim 'Justice delayed is justice denied' while determining the issues before it," the PDP said.