By Fola James
Few hours to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship primary in Edo state, a frontline aspirant Barrister Kenneth Imansuagbon has denied accepting $2million from Governor Godwin Obaseki to jettison his plans to contest in today’s election.
Imansuagbon who has vowed not to step down for the governor who dumped his former party, APC to join the PDP last, said he’s more popular with the people of the state and cannot be bought.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, the lawyer turned politician said his supporters have warned him to go ahead with the shadow election or face the consequence of a lawsuit.
Some civil society groups on Tuesday warned the PDP aspirant not to step down, and if he does, they said, his future political ambition will be frustrated.
The Coordinator of the civil society groups, Engr. Iyamu Nosakhare, told newsmen in Benin City that apart from suing Imasuangbon, they would also stage a million-man protest against the aspirant to frustrate any of his future political ambition.
But Imansuagbon said he has not collected money from anyone contrary to reports circulating in some sections of the media, he has not stepped down for Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The governorship aspirant who said he was in the race to win and not to make up the number of aspirants for the PDP ticket, stated that he is ready to challenge the process in court if it’s flawed, adding that the rumour of him accepting $2 million from the governor is being spread from Obaseki’s camp to frustrate him.
In spite of this, Imansuagbon said he will press ahead in today’s shadow election, to pick the PDP candidate for the September governorship election in the state.
Challenging Governor Obaseki to the popularity contest Imansuagbon said “The governor knows I am popular with the delegates and he is doing everything possible to change this.
For the sake of emphasis, I have not and will not consider accepting any money for me to step down from the race for the PDP ticket.
“I also understand that they are trying to manipulate the delegate list to their favour.
I want to warn that if they try it, we will do everything possible to resist it and we shall meet in the court of law.
He urged all delegates to come out for him in tomorrow’s primaries just as he promised to wipe away poverty from the state if elected as governor.”
Meanwhile, the PDP, the magazine learnt has waded into the crisis rocking the party as result of the defection of incumbent governor to the party, by prevailing on some aggrieved aspirants to withdraw various court cases against the party over the shadow election on Thursday.
A PDP chieftain told the magazine that the intervention has “yielded results, that’s why a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt struck out the suit filed by Mr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, one of our aspirants, after we prevailed on him to withdraw the case for the good of the party.
Ogbeide-Ihama filed the case two weeks ago seeking to stop Governor Obaseki from participating in today’s PDP governorship primary elect in the state.
