… urges state party chairman not to allow himself to be used to perpetrate illegallity
Crisis rocking the Ogun State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party, on Tuesday, took another dimension when the winner of the party’s gubernatorial primary, Otunba Deji Osinowo faulted a statement credited to the state Chairman of the party, Yinka Ola-Williams.
Recall that Osinowo, who won the primary election, was declared winner by the party’s Chairman, Electoral Committee, Isa Adamu Aji, after he scored 56 votes to defeat his closest rival, Tony Ojeshina, who polled 41 votes.
But the party’s chairman later went ahead to declare Ojeshina as the gubernatorial candidate of the party, through consensus arrangement, few weeks after Osinowo had emerged the governoship flagbearer of the party.
Not satisfied, Osinowo, headed to court to challenge the candidacy of the Former Commissioner for Environment in the state, accusing Ola-Williams and the State Working Committee(SWC) of the party of trying to steal his mandate for Ojesina.
Reacting to the development shortly after officially unveiling the deputy gubernatorial candidate, Aare Olugbenga Oluyemi, the party chairman said that Osinowo was disqualified because he did not follow the laid down procedures of the party before contesting the primary.
He said, “Of course, in any field of human endeavour somebody will not be happy with something but it is normal. Well, as the party chairman, I will not lie. What happened was that the election truly held; during that process, the other person(Osinowo), was disqualified by the national office simply because he did not follow the procedures.
“The national office, according to them, claimed that he should not have stood for that election because he did not pay and did not through the due process. In summary, the national office disqualified him because he failed to meet the requirements,” he noted
Osinowo, while responding through his WhatsApp platform, wondered why a candidate who won the gubernatorial primary election could be disqualified, describing Ola-Williams as a rookie in politics.
He maintained that the chairman’s statement on his disqualification was false, stressing that without him the whole election would have been nullified.
He urged the Ogun SDP chairman to stop allowing himself to be used by bad elements in politics ahead 2023 election.
Osinowo said, “How can anyone disqualify a candidate that won the party primary? The Electoral ACT is clear. I cannot be disqualified or exempted from participating in the 2023 governorship election. Without me, the whole election is a nullity.
“Yinka OlaWilliams is a rookie in politics and is allowing himself to be used. Unfortunately, poverty has become a major problem in Nigeria. Sad situation. I remain SDP governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2023 election and nothing can change the outcome. Court injunction is also in place but these are lawless elements.”