Makarfi to Sheriff: You are working with APC to ‘rig’ Ondo election, says ‘we’ll use legal option to ensure Jegede is the PDP candidate’

To the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the embattled factional chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is a stooge of the All Progressives Congress (APC) working to destroy the PDP and ‘rig’ the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State through the back door.
Makarfi, who said that the party would resist plans to impose any candidate on the PDP in the Ondo election, accused Sheriff of frustrating every peace and reconciliation moves by PDP leaders.
Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim is the candidate of the Sheriff faction while Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) is the candidate of the Makarfi faction in the election.
Makarfi, who spoke in Kaduna State, accused Sheriff of playing to an alleged grand design by APC to win the election.
“We won’t allow that. Our caretaker committee will continue to deploy legal and political means to ensure the victory of the rightful PDP candidate in the state. Our candidate is Mr. Eyitayo Jegede”.
On the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Makarfi said: “I don’t know what pressurised INEC to come out with the decision it took. What I read is that they acted on the orders of a court of law and not on the basis of what they believe was right as a body authorised to know the true status of political parties and the true status of the primaries conducted for the nomination of candidates.
“I want you to recall that we gave INEC relevant notices as stipulated by law, they observed our primaries and they took our nomination. It was reported that the other side did primaries at midnight in Ibadan. It was not covered by INEC or any authority for that matter. So, if a court of law gives INEC some orders that INEC, for whatever reason, felt compelled at that time to comply with, it is unfortunate.
“They are ignoring all the other laws relating to regulations and how candidates should emerge. Be that as it may, it has been our principles not to personalise issues because our judicial system provides for appeal process and we have appealed.
“And we have absolute confidence that the appellate court should be able before the election date, determines the legitimate candidate of the PDP,” he said.