Ondo election: It is not too late to retrace your steps – PDP warns Jimoh Ibrahim

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reform group has urged Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, the Ondo governorship candidate of the Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction to reconsider his action.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Convener of the PDP Reform Group, Mr Ariyo-Dare Atoye, in Abuja on Sunday.

The warning came three weeks after the Ahmed Makarfi led faction the party recently disowned Jimoh Ibrahim.

The businessman fired back by dragging the faction to court for conducting an earlier primary.

Atoye said that the advice became necessary as political parties jostling for the Nov. 25 governorship seat in Ondo commenced their campaigns.

The pressure group within the PDP, said that its time for Ibrahim to retrace his steps and “deeply reflect on the propriety of his current political misadventure as a PDP parody-candidate”.

He also enjoyed him to “think critically about posterity and what tomorrow will record for him”.

Atoye described the action of the business mogul as “a needless voyage of distraction” that would only benefit narrow-minded sycophants.

He added that the sycophants were only spurring him on, so as to get crumbs that wouldl help them to cushion the effect of the recession.

He recalled that Ibrahim’s campaign team recently alleged that his campaign office in Akure was vandalised by thugs who came in a PDP branded bus belonging to Eyitayo Jegede.

Jegede is the PDP candidate who emerged  via a primary conducted under the Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi.

Atoye described the allegation as ridiculous, puerile, cynical and a school-boy cooked-up.

“We wish to remind Ibrahim that allowing himself to be used in this distractive manner is not good for his business exploits and profile.

“We urge him to in the interest of a good name, fear of God and posterity, jettison this avoidable petty political commotion and support the candidate of the PDP, Eyitayo Jegede.

“It is not too late for him to retrace his steps and support the PDP wholeheartedly to win on Nov. 25,” he said

Atoye added that the current travail of some former PDP members in the APC was enough lessons for everyone in the PDP to close ranks.

“This is enough to work together to salvage this nation from those who have plunged it into an avoidable recession,” he said.

Atoye, however, observed that Ibrahim had all the necessary qualification to be a governor, but “such dream and aspiration must be pursued logically and in a dignifying manner.

“Ibrahim has more than what it takes to be a president, but we urge him to do it a proper and legitimate manner,”Atoye said.

He urged security agencies to ensure that no space was exploited by anybody to cause any breach or undermined the peace of Ondo State and the election.

“We wish to appeal to our hardworking security agencies to provide adequate cover for the major candidates, as well as protect the campaign offices against intruders, “ he added.