By Nuel Suji – Protesters in their hundreds trooped out again on Saturday in Akure, Ondo State capital to protest the last Thursday replacement of Mr Eyitayo Jegede SAN’ name with that of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the forth-coming governorship election slated for November 26, 2016.
For the second day running on Saturday, market women closed their shops in order to join in the protests. Apart from the market women, PDP leaders and members of the public sympathetic to the aspiration of Jegede trooped out as early as 8am to register their grievances against the decision of INEC to list Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP.
Armed with different placards with inscriptions like “Justice Abang is a disgrace to the judiciary” “We say no to Jankara rulings” “We should allow INEC to be Independent, Is Nigeria going back?” “Ondo State Youths are saying we have right to determine our candidate” “Ondo State People say no to the removal of Eyitayo’s name”, “No Eyi, no election” and “Abang is a rotten egg and APC’s agent.”
Others included “Ondo State women are angry, we have right to determine our candidate” “INEC is no longer independent under the present Federal Government” “We say no to interference by APC Governors and Federal Government ministers in the affairs of PDP.”
The market women, youths, non indigenes and PDP leaders moved from the party’s secretariat along Ijapo Street to the Deji’s Palace where they met with Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi Ogunlade and other traditional chiefs.
The PDP Chairman, Clement Faboyede who spoke on behalf of the protesters said it is not the duty of INEC to determine who the candidate of a political party is as that rests squarely with the members of the party.
Faboyede told the monarch that they did not want the repeat of 1983 where properties and lives were lost because of injustice done to the people of the state by the then Federal Government.
His words “the 1983 coup began in Ondo State when National Party of Nigeria (NPN) rigged Ondo State election. We don’t want our state to burn. Jegede emerged as PDP’s candidate in a free and fair primary. Two weeks ago, INEC published Jegede’s name. But suddenly, the name changed to that of Ibrahim who is not a member of our party.
“Help us beg Federal Government, Courts and INEC not to cheat us. We did not say anybody should not contest election, we are not afraid to lose this election, but we don’t want underhand tactics in disqualifying our candidate. We don’t want anybody to rig for us or rig us out.”
In his response, Oba Aladetoyinbo said in as much as people have right to protest, there be no burning of properties neither should there be lost of lives during protests.
The monarch who was flanked by traditional chiefs said INEC would be prevailed upon to do the right thing as there should be no back door to the governor’s seat in the state.
His words “whatever mistake they made would be corrected. We will convey your grievances to the Federal Governor, Ondo State Council of Obas and INEC. Our judiciary should make sure everyone gets justice, we don’t want unrest. Please there should be no unrest in the state.”
Earlier the State House of Assembly had addressed the media where they said they rejected the listing of Ibrahim who did not participate in the party’s primary to be made the candidate of the party.
