The Ladi Adebutu/Akinlade Campaign Organisation has described as ludicrous the claim by one Segun Showunmi that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, has not been campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
A statement signed by the Director of Media of the campaign organisation, Mr. Afolabi Orekoya, said Showunmi does not deserve any reactions, except for the expediency of setting the records straight.
According to Orekoya, “We challenge Mr Showunmi to show us his followers. The Peoples Democratic Party, Ogun State Chapter is not crisis-ridden as he mischievously strives to project. The party is intact and peaceful. We won’t allow a man beclouded by selfish motives to draw us back.
“If Mr. Showunmi has any problem with the PDP, let him as an educated person endeavour to resolve it with the party leadership in an appropriate and civil manner. We won’t allow him to drag us to retrogression. Enough is enough!”
He said regardless of the self-defeatist shenanigans of Showunmi, the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Adebutu, would continue to lead the campaign of its presidential candidate, Abubakar, and all other PDP candidates across the length and breadth of the state.
He said: “Finally, it should also be reiterated that Showunmi is just displaying what can be regarded as ‘folly’ by saying he is expecting a Supreme Court judgment against the candidacy of the party. This same folly was exhibited when the Appeal Court ruled on this same matter that he went to the media claiming he won at the Appeal Court and he was confirmed as the party’s candidate. But now, the truth has prevailed and the question Showunmi should answer is: why did he approach the Supreme Court on the same matter if truly he won at the Appeal Court as he claimed?
“It should be well stated that truly Showunmi was a gubernatorial aspirant because he obtained the nomination form and was screened but he did not participate in the party’s primaries; he was absent at the approved venue for the primary election.”
Orekoya said according to the Electoral Act 2022, Showunmi has no locus to challenge the primary that produced Adebutu, as the executive members of the party which he filed the suit against were not involved in the primary election processes, adding that therefore, he has no case against Adebutu as he keeps lying to the public.
“We appeal to the knowledgeable and discerning good people of Ogun State to remain focused and not be distracted with the folly but rather focus on how to vote out the ruling APC on 25th February and 11th March, 2023,” he added.
