The Independent National Electoral Commission will meet this week to take a decision on who will fly the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ondo State governorship election slated for November 26.
Sources at the national headquarters of the commission in Abuja, told our correspondent on Sunday, that the electoral body was aware of the Friday judgement which ordered it to recognise Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the party for the election.
Justice Okon Abang had on Friday ordered the commission to accept Ibrahim for the election and removed the name of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) whose name had earlier been admitted as the candidate of the party.
The PDP is factionalised into two camps at the national level, and each of the factions had submitted the name of its candidate for the election to the commission.
While Ibrahim belongs to the faction being led by a former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Jegede’s name was submitted by the faction being led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
Justice Abang’s judgement was for the enforcement of an earlier judgement he gave in June 29, whereby he ordered the commission to only accept the names of the candidate sent by the Biyi Poroye and Ademola Genty-led Executive Committee of the PDP in the state.
This state executive of the PDP is being led by Sheriff at the national level.
A national commissioner, who spoke on condition of anonymity with our correspondent, said that the commission was aware of the judgment.
He said, “We are aware of the judgement and I must tell you, the confusion in the party is a thing of worry to us.
“There was one judgement or so, that was brought to us before we accepted Jegede. Now, another one is here. Which one do we obey?
“Anyway, the commission will meet this week to take a decision on what to do.”
It was not clear if the party would be able to settle the crisis between the two factions to enable it to speak with one voice ahead of the election.
The Makarfi-led caretaker committee had on Friday emphasised that Jegede remained its candidate for the election, adding that the ruling of Justice Abang “does not in any way affect the matter of the PDP candidacy in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election.
“The issue of Ondo governorship was not the matter before Justice Abang in the suit. The matter before his lordship was in relation to the 2019 general elections,” the Makarfi faction stated.
But Sheriff in a statement by his Deputy National Chairman, Cairo Ojougboh on Sunday, said that while the peace process in the party was irreversible, plans had been concluded to inaugurate a national campaign organisation for Ibrahim.
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