13th December, 2014
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, popularly called GNI has revealed that he is the only legitimate candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state for the forthcoming 2015 governorship poll in the state.
GNI however maintained that the mandate given to him by the party delegates in the governorship primary election conducted last Monday in the state, remained popular, legitimate and sacrosanct.
He stressed that contrary to claims in some quarters that the party’s governoship has not been concluded, he said that the PDP in Ogun had moved beyond the primary election and was now strategizing on how to win the governorship election in the state, come next year.
The PDP governorship candidate who was apparently reacting to claims in the media by the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole that governorship primary of the party in the state was yet to hold, argued in a statement in Abeokuta that the primary which produced him followed due process.
It would be recalled that the former Speaker had during the week disclosed that he is in the race for the governorship election in the state, faulting the governorship primary held in the State last Monday.
The Yewa-born poitician declared further that his election as the party’s standard bearer for next year’s poll followed due process and was conducted in observance of the rule of law.
He argued that is mandate “is popular, legitimate and sacrosanct” as it was validated by the reports of the security agencies and the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who monitored the governorship primary in the state.
The statement which was obtained by our correspomndent late Friday evening in Abeokuta reads, “In the last few days, I have been inundated with many calls and messages from my friends, associates and party members who want to know the true position of the mandate that I hold as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State for the 2015 general election.
“This has been as a result of some misleading reports in the public domain which are deliberate falsehood meant to denigrate the importance of this sacred mandate.
“The primary held on Monday 8th December 2014 followed all due process as follows: The authentic delegates list was used observers from the national secretariat of the PDP were present, the full complement of the Police and SSS monitored it and made their reports.
“More importantly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored and made its report. All of these in their own purview validated the primaries
“All party faithful, friends, associates, the general public and the media to disregard any information contrary to the above stated facts. We have moved beyond the primary and the task before us now is to work assiduously so that victory is achieved on February 28th 2015.
“I am the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP and that mandate is incontrovertible, legal and sacrosanct,” Isiaka maintained.