Lukman Olabiyi
The Senator representing Ogun East senatorial District and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Buruji Kashamu, has declared that it is either the National Working Committee of the party negotiates with his faction of the party or there will be nothing for them in 2019 elections.
Kashamu, who took a swipe at the PDP’s national headquarters for taking sides in the internal crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the party, boasted that despite the Court of Appeal’s verdict, he remained the party’s candidate in the state.
He said the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, which set aside an order by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, which favoured his faction, had nothing to do with his candidature and flag bearer of the party.
The Senator who affirmed his belief in the Rule of Law, noted that the current battle between his faction and others, was not about is personal interest but about the interest of his millions of supporters and other who believed in him and what he stands for: justice and fairness.
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Kashamu expressed his disappointment for the role being played by the party national leaders, disclosing that the only thing that would be their benefit in 2019 election if they didn’t change their approach and tactics would be failure.
“What the party should have done was to mediate between the feuding parties with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis. If the party was interested in winning in the state, it should be seen trying to bring the feuding parties together rather than taking sides with one against the other.
“Other factions’ party candidate, Ladi Adebutu, is not my match; the battle is not between Adebutu and I but some people within and outside the state who are not comfortable with my popularity in South West,” he said.
Specifically, the senator fingered former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, among people fuelling crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the party; he alleged that Fayose was the architect of the current crisis.
However, reacting to allegations, former Governor Fayose said he was not an indigene of Ogun State and had no interest in whosoever would become the party’s candidate in the state, adding all he cared for, was for every members of party to work together to chase out the ruling party.
“In Ogun State, everybody is my friend; whoever going to be governor will surely not comes from Ekiti State; they should all work together for the victory of PDP, that is the most paramount to me. The country is sick, we all need to work together to rescue it from collapsing,” Fayose said.
When PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, was contacted, he neither pick his calls nor replied the text message sent to him on the allegations
Speaking further, Kashamu catalogued how the order set aside by the Court of Appeal came into existence. He added that he had, however, appealed the judgment because of his belief that the appellate court erred in its judgment.
“The Court of Appeal said in its judgment that the matter before it was not a pre-election matter. Hence, it could not have pronounced on the nomination of candidates, let alone sacking me or anyone for that matter. That was not the prayers of PDP and its officers who are the appellants in the matter and so such a prayer could not have been granted.
“Some have erroneously said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accepted our list of candidates for the 2019 general elections based on the interlocutory orders of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, which have now been set aside; then our nomination as candidates of the Ogun State PDP has been nullified.
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“Not satisfied, the other faction appealed. On May 4, 2017, the appeal was dismissed. Still not satisfied, they asked the Court of Appeal to relist the appeal. Again, on July 11, 2018, the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal in a well-considered ruling held that the appeal remained dismissed. It is the refusal by the Court of Appeal to relist the appeal that is now pending at the Supreme Court,” he explained.
He added that the two orders granted by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, in Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/114/2018, were made in a judgment enforcement proceedings.
“The first was in relation to the National Convention held between October 5 and 6, 2018. The second order was for INEC to accept, process and publish our list of candidates for the 2019 general election. Clearly, the request to set aside the orders of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, has been overtaken by events. The National convention has come and gone. INEC has also complied with the orders of court and the subsisting judgments. So, how does the decision setting aside the orders of the Federal High Court affect us?
“It should be noted that INEC, as a law-abiding institution, has since communicated its decision to recognise and deal only with the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP exco to the national leadership of our party.
“In October 28, 2018, letter written by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was emphatically stated that its decision to accept the list of candidates submitted by the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led exco was predicated on three court suits, namely FHC/L/CS/636/2016, FHC/L/CS/1556/2017 and FHC/AB/CS/114/2018. It is only the interlocutory orders in FHC/AB/CS/114/2018 that were set aside. The full and final judgments in FHC/L/CS/636/2016 and FHC/L/CS/1556/2017 in favour of the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP exco are yet to be set aside. It should also be pointed out that based on the judgments in FHC/L/CS/636/2016 and FHC/L/CS/1556/2017 in favour of the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP exco, INEC had in an earlier letter dated April 12, 2018, informed the PDP of the commission’s compliance with the two judgments of the Federal High Court,” he explained.