- As Dankwambo led PDP appeal panel promises to rule today
Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party Caretaker Committee led by Engr. Clement Faboyede, in conjunction with seven governorship aspirants, and the state elders council, have rejected the ad-hoc delegates lists compiled by Mr Kingsley Chinda, the Secretary of the PDP Ward congresses Electoral Committee for Ondo State over alleged fraud.
Rejecting the delegates list at the party’s secretariat before the PDP appeal panel of Adhoc delegates congresses led by the former governor of Gombe State, Mr Hassan Ibahim Dankwambo, Engr Clement Faboyede who spoke on behalf of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Ondo State, described the change of delegates list by Chinda led committee to favour an aspirant as a fraud.
Foboyede alleged that the committee led by Chinda intentionally did not give him a copy of the final results of the ad-hoc delegates ward congresses till he left because of his alleged fraudulent motive.
According to him, he got a copy 48 hours later Chinda had left Akure which he said was contrary to the party’s guideline.
On their part, the PDP elder’s council said that the act of changing the delegates list by Chinda led committee could invoke a repeat of what happened in 1983 in Ondo State.
Chief Segun Adegoke, a member of the PDP board of trustees, who spoke on behalf of the elders council, said several congresses have been conducted in the state without complaints.
He said chinda wanted to ruin the chances of PDP in Ondo State by perpetrating an electoral fraud that could destroy the party and cause a crisis.
Out of the eight governorship aspirants of the PDP, seven of the aspirants, Ayorinde Bode, Ebiseni Sola, Eyitayo Jegede, Kunlere Boluwaji, Okunomo Banji Ben, Olafeso Eddy, and Gooday Erewa, have unanimously rejected the alleged delegates list and prayed Damkwambo led appeal committee to nullify the manipulated list and revert back to the true results of the ad-hoc delegates ward congresses of the party.
The trio of Banji Okunomo, Eyitayo Jegede and Eddy Olafeso who spoke on behalf of all the remaining governorship aspirants indirectly indicted Hon. Agboola Ajayi, Ondo deputy governor as the architect of the fraud.
The seven Aspirants prayed the appeal committee to replace the doctored delegates list with the original results from the various wards of Ondo State.
They said the PDP is unlike the ruling APC where impunity thrives.
Meanwhile the Ondo State deputy governor was not present at the ongoing hearing by the PDP appeal panel at the party’s secretariate in Akure.
While addressing Dankwambo led appeal panel, Jegede described chinda led committee as changer led electoral committee.
Okunomo said the committee sold their integrity in lieu of electoral stealing while Olafeso described them as electoral thieves.
Starnews NG had reported yesterday that some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State have called for the disqualification of Hon. Agboola Ajayi, the deputy governor of Ondo State and for the immediate arrest of Mr Kingsley Chinda, the Secretary of the PDP Ward congresses Electoral Committee for Ondo State, over alleged injection 101 fake delegates into the Adhoc delegates’ list of the PDP ahead of the party primary on July 22, 2020.
The PDP leaders who gathered in Akure from across the three Senatorial Districts of Ondo State made the call while addressing newsmen on Sunday.
They alleged that Chinda led committee colluded with Ajayi to alter the delegates list with 101 names.
It could be recalled that the governor of Zamfara State, Bello Muhammad Matawalle who was appointed the chairman of the electoral committee could not make it to Akure to preside over the conduct of the Adhoc delegates ward congresses of the party in Ondo State.
This gave room for Chinda, the Secretary of the committee to step in his shoe.
Having heard all the complaints, listened to testimonies of agents of governorship aspirants at the congresses and that of returning officers, and having entertained all petitions, the chairman of the appeal panel led by former governor Dankwambo, has promised to dispense justice before the end of today and make his judgement known to everyone.
He, however, said that his pronouncement is subject to the ratification of the National Working Committee of the PDP in Abuja.
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