THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has come under severe attacks following the submission of Senator Ademola Adeleke’s name as the candidate of the party in the September 22 governorship election holding in Osun State.

Some residents of the state, under the umbrella of the Osun State Coalition for Good Governance, said at a press conference in Osogbo, on Sunday,  that the group would mobilise the electorate against the party if the opposition party should go ahead and field Adeleke as its candidate.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the group, Mr Akin Akinsode, who led scores of other members of the group to address journalists,  said they would not fold their hands and watch the destiny of the people of the state entrusted into  the hands of ‘an incompetent and unqualified person.’

He blamed the leadership of the party for allegedly overlooking the issue of the certificate of the candidate, saying the people of the state would not support an incompetent person.

The group challenged Adeleke to produce his secondary school certificate if he had any, saying the PDP candidate was the least qualified among all the 48 contestants in the governorship race in the state.

He said, “Osun wants the PDP but that is provided the party fields a credible and acceptable candidate.  But in what looks like an insult on people’s sensibility and flagrant abuse of the privilege in the face of several alternatives, the PDP goofed and, therefore, dashed people’s hope.

“Without prejudice, we appeal to the leadership of the PDP to exercise caution and not bring Osun and the nation to ridicule. We will not hesitate to mobilise massively against the party to save Osun from imminent predicament and danger in entrusting complicated responsibilities of our state to an unprepared individual. We warn the party to look inward before it is too late particularly in the interest of the people who believe the party but will never settle for anything below Aregbesola’s stuff, even though he is abysmally below the people’s expectation.

“Already, the news of the certificate scandal involving the candidate of the PDP is everywhere and one wonders what is difficult in presenting his certificate as challenged if he has any. Moreso, the Jacksonville University certificate’s claim has been confirmed to be a hoax which only exists in the imagination of the candidate. The PDP should prepare for a terrible defeat if it fails to let reason prevail and desist from taking the Osun electorate for granted by fielding an uncompetitive candidate.”

Also, the Youth Renewal Movement has called on Adeleke to withdraw from the race based on the alleged forged certificate.

The YRM, in a statement issued by Muftau Adegoke and Rasheed Adegbenro, on Sunday, said, “If PDP leaders are sincere; if they are not corrupt and if they want the good of all, Senator Adeleke ought not to have sailed through the party’s screening process in the first instance. Those who conducted the screening should also be investigated. They cannot be naïve not to know genuine documents from fake. We don’t want to believe that their palms have been greased.”

Meanwhile, Adeleke has asked the Nigeria Police Force to release the Principal of the Ede Muslim High School, Mr Abass Adejare, who was arrested in connection with the issuance of an alleged fake testimonial to him.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mr Olawale Rasheed, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday.

The campaign organisation’s spokesperson said, “It is insane to continue to peddle falsehood questioning Senator Adeleke’s attendance of the Ede Muslim Grammar School (Now Ede Muslim High School), where he was very popular and well known for his amiable and friendly character. He was, in fact, the president of the old students association until recently.

“We note with great concern the ridiculous criminalisation of a simple issuance of a School Testimonial to a former student.  The politicisation of a routine school administrative process is hereby condemned in its strictest terms and we call the police authorities to please caution their men and redirect their attention and efforts to investigating and solving real crimes and not trumped-up accusations.

“We, therefore, call on the police authorities to unconditionally release Mr Abbass Khalib Adejare, the principal of Ede Muslim High School, who is currently held in Lagos.” – Punch

– Aug. 6, 2018 @ 7:39 GMT |