The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been berated for allegedly issuing Certificate of Return to a wrong candidate in Ogun State.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State said INEC was wrong to have presented the Certificate of Return in Ikenne State Constituency to somebody who has withdrawn from the race before the March 18 election.
According to the PDP, the people of Ikenne displayed uncommon courage in the face of destructive and disruptive tendencies of thugs by massively voting for the party and its candidate, Sulaimon Badmus Adeniye.
However, the PDP expressed surprises that INEC presented Adeniye’s certificate to Babajide Owodunni, who withdrew from the race on March 6.
“Member of the public are humbly requested to note that Mr. Owodunni, immediately after relinquishing our party’s candidacy, defected to the ruling APC on March 9, 2023 in an open ceremony which was arranged and supervised by Prince Dapo Abiodun.
“We, therefore, wonder the rationale behind INEC issuance of PDP’s certificate of return to Owodunni, an impostor who never participated as a candidate of any known political party in the election,” Ogun PDP spokesman, Akinloye Bankole, told Media Talk Africa.
According to Bankole, the APC lost in Ikenne Local Government, where Abiodun Ladi Adebutu come from, “saying such electoral coup can only be carried out by the APC, in satanic connivance with Ogun State INEC.”
Bankole maintained that the PDP would not allow the APC to claim victory in Ikenne, where it was heavily defeated by the opposition party.
He said the Certificate of Return received by Owodunni is merely for photo-ops and a comic relief to pacify a crying toddler, stating that such cannot stand the test of time.
The PDP spokesman recalled that Owodunni had on February 17, 2023, approached the Sagamu High Court to swear to an affidavit that he was willingly withdrawing as the PDP candidate for Ikenne State Constituency and would no longer participate in the 2023 elections.
Bankole added that Owodunni on March 6, 2023, wrote a letter to notify the national office of the PDP of his voluntary withdrawal from the race, wondering how INEC went ahead to issue the PDP certificate to somebody who is no more a candidate.
“What we are saying is that the mandate which was freely and democratically given to the PDP by the courageous people of Ikenne State constituency is not to Babajide Owodunni; it is for our party, the PDP and we are determined and prepared to claim it by all means lawfully possible for our candidate, Dr. Adeniye,” Bankole submitted.
