Confusion Over SDP Governorship Candidate In Osun

 

• Omigbodun Accuses APC of Compromising Party’s Primary
• As Adejumo Claims Party’s Ticket

Kazeem Badmus

THERE is confusion over the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the State of Osun.

The SDP held its gubernatorial primary election last week Saturday in Osogbo where a former Chairman of Odo-Otin Local Government, Mr Rasaq Adejumo, was announced as the candidate of the party by Secretary of the governorship primary committee of the SDP, Hon Femi Ogunbemiru. 

But the Chairman of the committee, Barr. Joseph Achilles Abu, said he did not announce anybody as winner of the primary after the exercise.

Abu in a letter signed by him shortly after the primary said the party could not announce the result at the venue due to the dangerous and volatile invasion of the venue by unaccredited persons and non-members of the SDP.

The letter which was obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday reads: “Our attention has been drawn to false information circulating in the social media purporting to be the result of the Osun State Governorship primary election of the Social Democratic Party earlier conducted today, 12 March 2022 in Osogbo.

“The public should take note that even though the said primary election was smoothly conducted by the appropriate committee set up by the National Working Committee of the SDP, the result could not be announced at the venue due to the dangerous and volatile invasion of the venue by unaccredited persons and non-members of the SDP.

“Fortunately, the breach of security did not affect the conduct or outcome of the exercise which was conducted in line with the Approved Guidelines and the Constitution of the SDP. A report has been submitted to the National Working Committee of the party which contains the actual results of the primary election conducted at the venue in the presence of INEC officials. The national leadership of the party will brief the public on further details shortly.

“In the meantime, the general public is advised to disregard any false reports and fake result issued in the name of the Committee. The false report in circulation did not emanate from me or any member of the Osun State Governorship Primary Committee and is therefore, null and void”.

Commenting on the outcome of the primary, a governorship aspirant of the party, Arch. Goke Omigbodun alleged the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of Osun of hijacking the exercise.

Omigbodun, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, also accused the chairman of the SDP in the state, Mr. Sola Oladehinde of being a mole for the APC. 

According to Omigbodun, the primary was going on smoothly before some agent of the APC came to disrupt the process. 

He said: “The primary election was going on peacefully until the APC agents led by Bade Falade tried to hijack the process, bringing in an aspirant and delegates who are members of the APC. 

“I had instructions from the National Secretariat to be calm and just watch them and report back, which I did. 

“So, when a fake report was submitted by the State party chairman, Sola Oladehinde, who is a mole of the APC, the national secretariat reacted promptly and said it was a fake result and that the party will come out with the official report soon.

“We are still awaiting the official report from the National Secretariat and whenever it comes out, I doubt the headquarters will endorse a candidate of the APC”.

Reacting to the allegation, the chairman of the party in the state, Oladehinde said the letter written by Abu is not from the National Secretariat of the party.

According to Oladehinde, only the Chairman of the primary election committee left the venue of the exercise while other members waited and announced Adejumo as the winner. 

Oladehinde said Omigbodun lost the election because his (Omigbodun) people worked against him due to his incompetence.  

He said: “The letter is not from the National Secretariat. The letter emanated from the so called chairman of the primary election committee and there is a divided opinion on that because the secretary of committee made the announcement. 

“It was the secretary of the committee who announced the result of the primary election and it is even written in the new constitution of our party that whenever there is election, the counting must be done immediately after the voting.

“If he accused us of working with the APC, it means he too is working with the PDP because he told me personally that he would resign if Akin Ogunbiyi can contest under our party. 

“If I’m guilty of such accusations, then he too is guilty. He thought he was going to win the election but unfortunately for him, his own people worked against him because he is not competent”.