By Baron Ike
Even as President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday , November 19 went to Akure , the Ondo State capital to campaign for the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the coming governorship poll next week, Rotimi Akeredolu , the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is seeking for the postponement of the exercise .
The Ahmed Markafi-led PDP faction had written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , seeking that the governorship poll be put off from Saturday, November 26 apparently to give the party room to sort out pending matters in court as regards the PDP flagbearer.
Two persons are laying claim to the Ondo State PDP governorship ticket- Jimoh Ibrahim being supported by the Ali Modu Sherrif-led camp already recognised by INEC for the election and Eyitayo Jegede of the Markafi-led camp who is in court to seek the nullification of the approval earlier given to Ibrahim by the Okon Abang court.
At the APC rally in Akure on Saturday , Buhari urged the people to vote for his candidate, Akeredolu.
The rally which had in attendance the Senate President Bukola Saraki and many governors of the APC also exposed the absence of the associates of the National Leader of the APC. Bola Tinubu such as governors Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos ) , Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) , among others .
APC National chairman , John Odigie Oyegun and most of the governors who spoke urged Ondo iindigenes to vote Akeredolu so as to take the state back to the centre.
The Court of Appeal adjourned indefinitely in the case brought before it by the PDP faction led by Markafi seeking the nullification of the ruling of Abang. The Court of Appeal took that decision because the Supreme Court where the matter was taken to in the course of appeals was yet to make pronouncement on the matter.
The Ahmed Markafi-led PDP thinks that the courts will need some more time to decide on the matters before them hence the request to INEC to defer the poll to a later period.
INEC is yet to decide on the request but feelers from the Commission indicate the request may not be granted as the APC is determined to kill the move.