Senator Buruji Kashamu has cautioned the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to refrain from presenting the flag of the party’s Ogun State governorship ticket to anyone through the back door.

Kashamu, who is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as PDP’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, said this on Thursday in a statement issued by his media aide, Austin Oniyokor.

Kashamu, in the statement, said, “The attention of the Kashamu/Abati Campaign Organisation has been drawn to the surreptitious moves being made by some lawless members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to present the flag for the Ogun State PDP governorship ticket to an impostor through the backdoor.

“It should be noted that following the insistence of the genuine national leaders of PDP, such as the Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, among others, to make the party abide by valid and subsisting court judgments in respect of the Ogun State PDP matter, the desperate elements within the NWC and their collaborators on Thursday stalled the presentation of the party’s flags to the governorship candidates from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states at the Ibadan venue of the South-West zonal rally, as it is usually the practice at such rallies.

“Immediately after the rally, the retrogressive elements within the PDP met at the Ibadan Airport and hatched a fresh plot to present the party’s flag to the governorship candidates from Lagos and Oyo states in Abuja tomorrow (Friday, 7th December, 2018), including an impostor from Ogun State known as Ladi Adebutu.

“Although we reckon that the presentation of flag is merely ceremonial and of no consequence whatsoever, we were only hoping that those who criticize others for their actions and inactions will live by higher standards and best global practices where the rule of law prevails. The presentation of flag will not reverse the valid and subsisting court judgments and pronouncements in our candidates’ favour – from the High Court to the Supreme Court. It will also not make the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept, process and publish the impostors’ names.

“Since some elements within the PDP are hell-bent on further denting the image of our party, the Kashamu/Abati Campaign Organisation wishes to appeal to all well-meaning leaders of our party, including the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to, once again, rise to the occasion and rein in these elements before they wreak more havoc to the party and set Ogun State on fire.

“The legitimate candidates of the PDP who have been affirmed by the courts and accepted by INEC will not fold their hands and allow some persons in Abuja and elsewhere, no matter how powerful, to steal their mandates through the backdoor. Party leaders should learn to obey court judgments instead of resorting to strong-arm tactics that will further portray our party in bad light to Nigerians and the rest of the world.”

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