Jegede Supporters Take Protest To Akure Monarch’s Palace

CHHANELS TV

The supporters of Mr Eyitayo Jegede stormed the palace of the paramount ruler of Akure on Saturday to protest INEC’s replacement of the name of their man with that of Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP candidate in Ondo governorship election.

Thousands of protesters, including members of the State House of Assembly, party officials and supporters blocked the major highways, singing solidarity songs in support of Jegede with placards ‎sending across their message.

At the palace of the Deji of Akure, the Chairman of the Makarfi faction of the PDP in the state, Mr Clement Faboyede, spoke on behalf ‎of the protesters.

Faboyede appealed to the royal father to appeal to INEC to declare Jegede as the PDP candidate in the governorship election as he was the one duly elected.

He insisted that no court has the right to determine the candidate of a party in an election.

Mr Faboyede had on Friday made a similar call during a press conference, where he argued that it is not the duty of any court to impose or dictate candidates for a political party.

“It is a pre-election matter and the Supreme Court which is the highest order of judiciary in this land, severally, has said it that pre-election matters are not matters of the court,” he stated.

Supporters blocked the major highways, singing solidarity songs in support of Jegede

He added that Mr Jimoh Ibrahim is not a member of the PDP in Ondo state.

Responding, the Deji of Akure, HRM Ogunlade Aladelusi, appealed to the‎ judiciary to ensure that everybody gets justice, without which there will be unrest.

However, a member of the House of Representatives for Ondo East/West Constituency, Joseph Akinlaja said that another court judgement would come that will ‎restore the name of Jegede as the PDP candidate in the governorship election and INEC must abide by it.

‘Ungodly Black Market Order’

Similarly, members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have also made their position in the ongoing controversy known.

Addressing a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalist Press Centre in Akure, the state capital, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Jumoke Akindele, ‎refered to the court order that the name of Jegede be replaced with that of Ibrahim as an ungodly black market order.

She stated that the members of the House, as representatives of the people, condemn the act, saying it is an advanced political fraud ‎and a coup against the will of the people.

The Speaker insisted that the PDP primary election that produced Jegede was the authentic one, referring to the Ibrahim ‎faction as a group of unprincipled elements.