PDP leaders storm Inec office in Abuja asking that Adeleke be declared Osun State governor

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) leaders have stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) in Abuja to protest the recent gubernatorial elections in Osun State and demand that their candidate Senator Ademola Adeleke be declared winner.

In Abuja to fine-tune plans for their forthcoming national congress in Port Harcourt where they will decide on who their 2019 presidential candidate will be, the PDP leaders staged a protest outside Inec offices, saying it had become an arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the entourage were senate president Bukola Saraki, speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, party chairman Uche Secondus, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, former Jigawa State governor and presidential aspirant Sule Lamido and Senator Dino Melaye.

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the Osun State elections Senator Iyiola Omisore, has explained why he decided not to support Senator Adeleke in the re-run. He said he opted to support Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the candidate of the APC because the leadership of the PDP in the state said they did not need his support.

According to Senator Omisore, former vice [resident Alhaji Atiku Abubakar wanted to come and discuss with him before the re-run but he was prevented from coming by the leadership of the PDP in the state He added that both the APC and PDP were given the SDP manifesto and asked to work with it.

Senator Omisore said:“We dwelt on payment of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities, on local content, employment for our youths and the reorganisation of the educational system, among others. We went to negotiations with a clear mind that Osun must be free and thank God our coalition has produced a new future for the state."

With the PDP gearing up for its make-or-break convention this weekend, five of its presidential aspirants have signed a peace accord. Those who put pen to paper to ensure that they remain faithful to the party irrespective of the outcome of the primary election include Senator Saraki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Tanimu Turaki, Datti Babba-Ahmed and Sule Lamido.

Candidates who were absent, however, include Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Senator David Mark, Jonah Jang, Stanley Osifo and Ibrahim Dankwambo. PDP chairman Prince Uche  Secondus assured everyone that the primary election to select the party’s flag bearer will be transparent and the result acceptable to all.

He stressed the need for the aspirants to remain together no matter the outcome of the convention. Afterwards, Prince Secondus later handed over the signed documents to all the aspirants present.