30th December, 2014
*Ex-Ogun state governor Gbenga Daniel may have been left in the cold
Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta
The Ogun State Chairman of Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party, Engr. Bayo Dayo has confirmed that Prince Buruj Kashanu remains the candidate of the Ogun East senatorial district, adding that no one can change it.
Dayo spoke against the backdrop of the controversy that Kashamu has been dumped for the former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
The party chairman dismissed the report.
P.M.News can authoritatively report that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cleared the three candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the Senatorial races in the State.
They are Mrs. Abiola Sodipo-Clark, wife of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, for the Ogun Central, Prince Buruji Kashamu for the Ogun East and a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the State,Mr. Waliu Taiwo to represent Ogun West.
The APC Senatorial candidates are Adedapo Olusegun Abiodun for Ogun East, Joseph Gbolahan Dada (Ogun West) and the Prince Lanre Tejuosho (Ogun Central).
According to the Chairman, “I have submitted the list of the winners to INEC and they have given me the acknowledgment of the list. So any other thing you people are hearing are nothing but a ruse and nothing,I repeat,nothing will change the list with the INEC.
“Anybody who is parading himself or herself as candidates of PDP for any elective post aside those that their names were submitted to INEC by me as the constitution stated are just wasting their time and money. I want to tell you that in Ogun East, Prince Buruj Kashamu remains the PDP candidate for the Senatorial ticket and so shall it be,no cause for alarm,”Dayo insisted.
The former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel through his media aide, Mr Ayo Giwa has claimed that he had been directed by the PDP National Working Committee, NWC, to contest for the Ogun East Senatorial seat.
The development pits him against Kashamu, who has been cleared by INEC for the office.
The controversial businessman turned politician,Buruj Kashamu is the Chairman of the South-West PDP Organisation and Mobilisation Committee.
Daniel, in the statement issued on Monday explained that the directive of the NWC was to ensure the success of the PDP across board in 2015.
He explained that the PDP has drawn a ‘Unity List’, based on the directive of the NWC, adding that, all congresses of the party in Ogun had been declared null and void.
“Former Governor of Ogun State and a chieftain of the PDP, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has expressed his discontent about the activities of some leaders of the party admonishing them to desist from discussing political developments within the party in the media as this negates one of the articles of the PDP Constitution.
“Internal disagreements which are supposed to be necessary ingredients of democracy are, on daily basis, being externalised. This points to indiscipline and must be discouraged by all lovers of democracy, especially at this crucial period when we inch towards a major election that will shape the future of the nation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has declared that there were no authorised primaries held in Ogun State as the leadership of the party had earlier on called on all stakeholders to come with a unity list of candidates encompassing all various,” the statement read.
But to demonstrate that all is not well with Daniel was absent at the Akure Ondo state meeting where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council, South West Nigeria for the 2015 general elections was inaugurated.
The inaugural meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House and was attended by members of the party drawn from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Ondo states.
It was hosted by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State who doubles as the South West Coordinator of the campaign.
It would be recalled that Otunba Gbenga Daniel was the former Coordinator for Jonathan / Sambo campaign organisation.
Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, Governor Mimiko emphasised the urgent need to re-energise party structures in all the South West States, especially Ogun State, towards winning the 2015 Presidential and other elections in the region.