By Akinwale Kasali
The All Progressives Congress has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party for blaming it over the omission of the name of its Governorship Candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu from the final list of Ogun State Governorship contestants.
The APC alleged that the PDP is mounting unnecessary pressure on INEC to influence its decision over Adebutu’s Candidature at the forthcoming election.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Ogun State APC Campaign Council, Kayode Odunaro, urged the PDP to accept responsibility for its alleged failure to comply with the applicable electoral requirements rather than blame the APC and its governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola.
He made this assertion while reacting to allegations reportedly made by the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, who attributed the omission to alleged pressure exerted on INEC by the APC.
He called on the PDP to allow the electoral commission to discharge its responsibilities in accordance with the rule of law and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
According to him, the APC and its candidates are participating in the electoral process under the supervision of INEC, which is responsible for regulating elections and determining compliance with applicable electoral requirements.
“APC and its candidates are contestants alongside candidates of other political parties under INEC, the umpire and regulatory body for the electoral process. How, then, can anyone attribute the PDP’s alleged failure to comply with administrative procedures and established rules to pressure from the APC on INEC?”, Odunaro queried.
He, however, argued that the omission should not automatically be attributed to political interference, adding that candidates in other states had reportedly experienced similar situations over alleged non-compliance with electoral requirements.
“The PDP should stop the blame game against the APC and its flagbearer, Senator Solomon Adeola, over what amounts to a failure to follow laid-down rules,” he said.
Odunaro further described the PDP as a party grappling with internal crises, insisting that it should concentrate on resolving its challenges and addressing the circumstances surrounding the omission of its candidate from INEC’s list.
He maintained that his party and Adeola were prepared to contest against any candidate duly recognised by INEC, but argued that campaigning against a party whose candidate had not been listed would amount to a diversion of political resources.
“Our position is clear: the APC and its candidate are campaigning to win on the strength of proven and verifiable performance, capacity, equity and justice, as encapsulated in our nine-point ITESIWAJU manifesto,” he stated.
He added that the APC would not sympathise with any political party or candidate found to have breached the rules governing the electoral process.
Drawing an analogy with football, Odunaro said a political party that failed to meet the requirements for fielding a candidate could suffer consequences similar to those faced by a team that fields an ineligible player.
“We all know what happens when a team fields an ineligible player in a football match. It is akin to scoring an own goal, regardless of whatever other scores appear on the scoreboard,” he said.
The APC in Ogun State also expressed confidence in the electoral prospects of Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, declaring that the party was ready to test his popularity at the February governorship poll.
The party argued that Ogun State deserved a governor with a broader statewide outlook, rather than what it described as an administration narrowly identified with a particular locality.
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