I remain PDP guber candidate in Ogun, Kashamu insists

Senator Buruji Kashamu, representing Ogun East, yesterday declared that he remains the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.

He said his candidature is notwithstanding a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, which set aside an order of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, recognising the Kashamu’s faction of the party.

He, however, stressed that he had appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court because of his belief that the appellate court erred.

In an interaction with journalists yesterday, Kashamu said: “The Court of Appeal said in its December 18 judgment that the matter before it was not a pre-election matter. Hence, it could not have pronounced on the nomination of candidates, let alone sacking me, or anyone for that matter.

“That was not the prayers of the PDP and its officers who are the appellants in the matter, and so such a prayer could not have been granted.”

Kashamu explained that some people had “erroneously said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accepted our list of candidates for the 2019 general election based on the interlocutory orders of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.

“This, they, said has now been set aside, and our nomination as candidates of the Ogun State PDP has been nullified. That cannot be true because the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court had ruled in a full and final judgment delivered on June 24, 2016.”

Kashamu took a swipe at the PDP national headquarters for taking sides in the internal crisis in Ogun State, rather than seeking reconciliation.