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The movement of
Gbenga Daniel’s supporters to the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) with
the aim of contesting in the forthcoming elections in Ogun State may
end up being a futile mission. Investigations have revealed that the
party has submitted the names of all its candidates for the election
hence, there is no vacant position for the defecting members. The group
had on Sunday left the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following
the Federal Court judgment which nullified its list of candidates and
upheld the list of former President Olusegun Obasanjo which produced
Tunji Olurin as the party’s governorship flag bearer.

The governorship
candidate of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in the INEC released list
is Enisenyin Ayodeji Rasaq and his running mate is Durojaiye Omowunmi
Comfort. This is contrary to the group’s desire to field Isiaka Gboyega
as the governorship candidate. The INEC approved list shows that the
party has candidates in all the three senatorial districts, eight
candidates for House of Representatives and fifteen House of Assembly
Candidates. This has left members of Mr Daniel’s faction in confusion.

Substitution of candidates

While reacting to
whether there is a list of substitutes from INEC, the Administrative
Secretary of INEC in the state, Ebenezer Fakorode, said, “I have not
gotten any list, we have not gotten any other than the one we got three
weeks ago.” When asked if INEC is expecting a new list, Mr Fakorode
said, “I don’t know, nobody told us anything at Abuja. No information
rather than the one we have three weeks ago. I am a civil servant, I
don’t know anything.” But the State Publicity Secretary of PPN, Raheem
Ajayi, said, “We have done the substitution before the end of deadline
given by INEC,” arguing that it is the function of the electoral body
to bring out and publish list of candidates.

Mr Ajayi who
doubles as Mr Daniel’s Special Adviser on Youth and Sports said “I can
tell you that, they (INEC) have given us acknowledgement,” recalling
that the earlier injunction gotten by the Olurin group was ‘like a
judgment, hence we have to be proactive and swung into action to
perfect our defection before now.’

New posters with PPN logo

Meanwhile, the group has commenced production of new posters with PPN logo to project the party in the state.

NEXT gathered that
the candidates are now working round the clock individually and
collectively for mass production of their posters which is expected to
be pasted all over the state. Similarly, the party has established a
secretariat which is located at 77a Vaughan Street, Adedotun in
Abeokuta.

The building which
is also residential had the party’s flag hoisted in front of it, the
state chairman of the party, Rasaq Eyiowuawi gave assurance of a speedy
transformation of the secretariat.

Mr Ajayi said events of the past weeks in Ogun State have shown that the PDP in the state is dysfunctional.