Akinbade Dumps PDP, Ogunbiyi’s Appeal Dismissed

 

One of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, has dumped the party.

Akinbade, who was the SSG during the tenure of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, announced his defection from the PDP on Wednesday in a letter to the state party Chairman, Honourable Soji Adagunodo.

He said he decided to leave the party because he believed that the leadership of the party did not like him or they were being threatened by his presence in the party.

Akinbade contested the last Saturday primary election of the PDP and scored 56 votes to come third out of four aspirants in the race.

His resignation letter read: “I wish to notify you of my formal disengagement from the Peoples Democratic Party as a member as from today.

“I made this somewhat reluctant decision after due consultations with my political associates, leaders, admirers and friends within and outside the state.

“In particular, I came to this painful junction having realised that the leadership of the party either do not want me or is threatened by my presence in the party.

“This fear became more produced especially with the events that dovetailed into the recently concluded primary election of the party.

“Consequently, as an ever forward working individual, I am withdrawing my membership of the party without harbouring animosity against anyone, and will always welcome and participate in electoral contest that leave the process open and transparent”.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the appeal filed by Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, the runner up in the party’s governorship primary in Osun against the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke.

It was gathered that the Appeal Committee of the party examined Ogunbiyi’s grounds of appeal and found them “unworthy to warrant disqualifying Adeleke from the race or overturning his victory.”

The Appeal Committee, which met in Abuja on Monday night, was said to have handed over INEC forms to Adeleke on Tuesday morning.

Adeleke, who was also introduced to the National Executive Committee meeting of the party on Monday evening by the Senate Minority Leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio, as the party’s candidate for the election, reportedly submitted his form to the commission on Tuesday.

“We have upheld the outcome of the primary. Senator Adeleke remains the candidate of the party in Osun State,” the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, told journalists.

Ogunbiyi, in his petition, claimed that he won the contest. He asked that he be declared the candidate of the party in the governorship election.

Ogunbiyi, who polled 1,562 against Adeleke’s 1,569 votes, insisted that the primary was manipulated in favour of Adeleke.

He argued that 42 voided votes and 128 unaccounted votes belonged to him, claiming that the total votes he garnered were 1,732.