PDP CHAIRMAN, AYU DISOWNS JIMI LAWAL, REJECTS FRESH PRIMARIES IN OGUN

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dissociated itself from a fresh primary election purportedly conducted by one of the party’s governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Jimi Lawal.

This was contained in a disclaimer sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, on October 19.

Recall that Lawal was on Monday suspended alongside four others by the Ogun State chapter of the PDP for “organizing an illegal primary.”

An Abeokuta Federal High Court had on September 27 nullified all the primary elections earlier held by the PDP, asking the party to organize another primary within 14 days.

Dissatisfied, the PDP NWC appealed the judgment, wondering how Jimi Lawal and his followers would arrogate to themselves powers of the national body of the party by writing INEC and holding the so-called primary election.

“We write to draw the attention of the Commission to a purported primary election conducted by some persons claiming to be State Executive Members of our party, allegedly held on Monday, 17th October 2022, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital.

“This is coming days after the 14 days ordered by the Federal High Court for the party to conduct a fresh primary election.

“The 14 days ordered by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta division within which the party was to conduct a fresh primary election lapsed on Monday, 10th October 2022, and no fresh Primaries were conducted in Ogun State, the party having resolved to go on appeal and rightly so.

“This, being our position, we were surprised to read both on print media and online media that some persons claiming to be part of a faction of the party conducted a fresh primary on behalf of the party on Monday, 17th October 2022, 7 days after the 14 days ordered by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta division which the party appealed against has lapsed,” Ayu said.