A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state has relocated its governorship primary election to Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo state following fears of possible attack, SaharaReporters can authoritatively report.
A former State Chairman of the party, Ebenezer Alabi, confirmed this to SaharaReporters in a telephone conversation on Sunday evening.
Mr. Alabi confirmed that the relocation was to prevent ‘any possible attack’ from the other camp of the party that is aggrieved with the recent political activities in the faction.
“We have to shift the primary to Ibadan due to possible attack from agents loyal to the other camp. They might be planning evil.
“You know we have five aspirants and they are already in Oyo state for the preparation of the primary election which is expected to be transparent”, he said on the phone.
Alabi also confirmed that the faction was "aware" of a court injunction restraining “them” from holding any parallel activity in the state.
He added that the group wouldn’t want to jump the order of the court and disrupt the peace of the state.
Mr. Biyi Poroye in Ondo state is leading the faction of the Party, which is sympathetic to the Ali Modu Sheriff camp at the national level, SaharaReporters had earlier reported.
Last week, some aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approached the Ondo State High Court to seek an interlocutory injunction restraining Mr. Poroye from parading himself as the factional chairman of the party in the state.
SaharaReporters gathered that Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, the Chief Judge of Ondo state, granted the injunction to the members on the order of embattled Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
In the court injunction, Mr. Poroye was also barred from holding a parallel primary election in the state in order not to cause disharmony among the members of the umbrella party.
Five aspirants from the faction are jostling for the party’s ticket, and they include; Jimoh Ibrahim, Sola Ebiseni, Bamiduro Dada, Niran Sule, and Abiye Ademoyegun, our correspondent reported.
Yemi Akintomide, a self-acclaimed Director of Media and Publicity of the faction PDP said the primary election would now hold at the South West Zonal Secretariat of the party in Ibadan.
Mr. Akintomide further disclosed that Ahmed Gulak would lead the Committee for the primary election as constituted by the national factional chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff.
But, he added that the factional group of the party was not aware of any court injunction stopping the primary election from holding in Ondo state.
“The venue for the primary was relocated to the South-West zonal secretariat of PDP in Ibadan by the Hon. Ahmed Gulak led Ondo State Governorship Primary Committee, constituted by the national chairman, Senator. Alimodu Sheriff.
“The committee has since taken over the conduct of the primary from the state Exco, with the state chairman, Biyi Poroye as a member.
“Aspirants and party delegates are expected to move to Ibadan today, Sunday, in preparation for tomorrow's primary.
“I am not aware of any court injunction stopping the primary as all court pronouncements so far were in favour of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff led National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP”.
Sources who have been speaking to SaharaReporters in Ibadan revealed that the primary is likely to start by the midnight of Sunday.
All effort to get the comment of Mr. Poroye for further prove on the primary election holding in Ibadan, Oyo state capital was abortive as calls from our correspondent to his official phone lines were not picked.
