PDP faction backs governor for Osun election after candidate's nomination upheld late

A faction of Nigeria's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kabiru Turaki, has thrown its support behind Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party for the upcoming Osun State governorship election. This surprising endorsement comes after a Court of Appeal ruling affirmed Adebayo Adedamola as the legitimate PDP candidate.

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Though justice has finally been done, in this case the grant of justice is akin to a denial as there is no opportunity for our candidate to undertake campaigns in preparation for the elections.

The Turaki-led faction stated that while the court's decision to uphold their candidate's nomination was a form of justice, it arrived too late for any meaningful campaign. The appellate court in Abuja had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include the PDP logo on the ballot, recognizing that the party had conducted a valid primary monitored by INEC.

However, the faction expressed strong criticism of INEC, accusing the commission of acting in a partisan manner and refusing to recognize their candidate. They alleged that INEC withheld necessary codes for uploading candidates, effectively hindering their campaign efforts. "Though justice has finally been done, in this case the grant of justice is akin to a denial as there is no opportunity for our candidate to undertake campaigns in preparation for the elections," the faction stated.

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As a true opposition party and in defence of multi-party democracy, and after exhaustive consultations with key stakeholders, the Committee has decided to support the candidature of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party for Saturday’s governorship elections.

Despite the legal victory for their candidate, the faction has chosen to back Governor Adeleke, a former PDP member who left due to internal party conflicts. They urged their members to vote for Adeleke, framing the decision as a defense of multi-party democracy and a resistance against the ruling APC's alleged attempts to win elections through unfair means. The faction emphasized that elections should reflect the genuine will of the people expressed through the ballot.

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Elections must be a true reflection of the peoples’ wish, freely expressed through the ballot. Anything short of that is robbery and must not be allowed to stand.