The Independent National Electoral Commission has given the two factions in the Peoples Democratic Party October 27 deadline within which to determine who will be the party’s candidate in the Ondo State governorship election slated for November 26.
It said the two factions could reconcile before that time, which is a day set aside for the substitution of candidates by political parties.
The commission is expected to publish the list of candidates that will take part in the election on October 28.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, who spoke in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday, said that the commission would stick to the date.
He said that the commission was already studying the court judgment that ordered it to recognise Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP for the election.
The court order, which was granted by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday, ordered the commission to remove the name of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the party’s candidate.
Oyekanmi said, “It is true that we have received the court judgment asking us to accept the name of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the party’s candidate for the Ondo State governorship election.
“We are a law-abiding institution. But we are still studying the judgment as the court paper had been sent to our legal department to study.
“But the party still has up till October 27 to sort itself out. October 27 is the last date set for political parties to substitute their candidates.”
PUNCH
