Stories from Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
There was palpable anxiety among members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday in anticipation of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja on the rightful candidate of the party for the November 26 election.
Two aspirants, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) and Jimoh Ibrahim are currently laying claim to be the authentic standard bearer of the party in the coming poll.
While Jegede belongs to the Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi’s faction of the party led in the state by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Ibrahim belongs to the Senator Alli Modu Sherrif’s faction of the party.
Jegede who emerged at the primary election held in Akure under the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) had commenced his electioneering campaigns, so also Ibrahim who emerged as his faction’s candidate at a primary election held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
However, the recent ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which ordered INEC to recognize Ibrahim as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the state created serious confusion within the Makarfi’s PDP camp, while the Sheriff’s faction celebrated the court judgment.
Daily Sun reliably gathered that hundreds of stalwarts of the two factions of the party had since Monday relocated to Abuja ahead of the court judgment.
The factional chairmen of the party, Clement Faboyede and Prince Biyi Poroye were said to have moved to Abuja when our correspondent visited their offices in Akure yesterday.
The suit was the major subject of discussion among various members of the PDP in the state, even as they were anxious of what would be the outcome of the judgment.
Police to deploy 24,000 officers
No fewer than 24,000 officers from across the various police commands in the country will be deployed to Ondo State for the November 26 election in the state.
The officers who are to work with those in the state are expected to arrive a week to the election.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mrs Hilda Harrison who disclosed these at a stakeholders meeting with representatives of various political parties participating in the election noted that efforts by the police would be complimented by other security agencies during the poll.
She said the officers from various commands including the force headquarters would be deployed to all the nooks and cranny of the state days before the election to prevent pre-election crisis in all parts of the state.
According to the commissioner: “we are working to ensure that peace reigns in the state during the forthcoming election, and it is important for the political parties to join hands with us to ensure that we achieve our aim.”
She urged the people to use the advantage of various technological devices to report any officer that errs before and during the election.
The police boss who supervised the signing of peace pact among all the political parties contesting the election, urged them to abide by the agreement to ensure peace before, during and after the poll.
