The Social Democratic Party (SDP) through the Press Secretary of Dr. Olu Agunloye, the gubernatorial candidate, has condemned the actions of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State for hiding under localised crisis within his party, the PDP to make provocative statements that could disrupt peace and order in the State. The action of instigating students, market women and unions into the internal crisis of PDP to make violent protests over the announcement of INEC on which faction – Modu Sherriff's or Makarfi's was genuine is appalling and disappointing to say the least. The Social Democratic Party therefore hereby appeals to the good people of Ondo State to discountenance the call for violence, insubordination and social upheaval being drummed up by the same Governor saddled with the task to ensure social security and food security.
The facts are glaring that the Governor's party (PDP) is polarized from the National to the State through Local Government Areas to the Ward levels. There are two executives and two distinct sets of members at all levels. What has happened is about the factions presenting two candidates – Jimoh Ibrahim and Tayo Jegede and then seeking the judicial courts to resolve the issue. It is not about INEC denying Jegede his mandate and neither is it about injustice which the whole of Ondo State needs to go on the streets to damage the few developmental items that we can point to after expending N1.2 trillion in 7.5 years. It is not correct to liken this _Jegede-Jimoh_ case to the case of stolen mandate in a general election where the people across the state voted for one person and INEC declared another person winner.
In this particular case, there are two PDP factions, one voted for Jegede and the other voted for Jimoh and both factions submitted names to INEC and the court decided that the genuine faction is Jimoh's. In the first instance, it is not all members of PDP in Ondo State that voted or were allowed to vote for the candidates; only few selected handpicked or freely picked delegates did. As for Jegede's candidacy, the entire Modu Sherriff faction deemed to be the larger faction by some, did not recognise or take part in the primaries that produced Jegede. In fact, not all the Makarfi delegates voted for Jegede as some voted for his rival, Saka Lawal. So it is clear that only a fraction of the Mimiko or Makarfi faction voted for Jegede. So why is Governor Mimiko shouting from rooftop as if all the citizens of Ondo State voted for Jegede and were robbed of their votes by INEC? Are all Ondo people of PDP stock or of the Makarfi faction? Why arouse or railroad students, market women and drivers' union into this fractionalized faction's candidature of Eyitayo Jegede? Why closing the markets in Akure? Are all market women members of the Makarfi's PDP? Why should the Governor waste tax payers money to travel to Abuja to warn the President of the Federal Republic of "imminent conflagration" in Ondo State because of "injustice of INEC"? Is the Governor or Makarfi's faction agent or controller of the arsonists and destroyers in the State? Shouldn't the Governor as Chairman of PDP Governors Forum be championing how to ease out the deep crisis in his party instead of being the mouthpiece for a faction's candidate or worse more agent of destroyers?
Let it be said loud and clear that what Ondo State people want at this time is payment of wages, pension and gratuities and food on the table. This is why the sponsored protests were only limited to parts of Akure and Ondo cities and in fact, there were spontaneous jubilations in several other cities that Jegede candidature, perceived as Mimiko's Third Time Agenda, did not get court or INEC's blessings.
Enough of squandering of wealth and goodwill, it is time to rescue and rebuild.
Sam Odeyemi,
Press Secretary,
*_Dr. Agunloye Campaign Organisation_*
29 October 2016
