Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale has alleged a grand plan involving Mr. Moshood Salvador, leader of the Markafi’s illegal faction in Lagos to frustrate the Party’s victory at the forthcoming Local Government polls in Lagos. He also insisted that any dealing between LASIEC and Salvador group is illegal and a total disregard of the Party’s constitution.
In a statement today in Lagos, Adewale said Salvador and his group have made over 12 million Naira from the sale of illegal nomination forms to unsuspecting aspirants buying into their lies of being the Party representatives in Lagos. “Salvador is only acting the script of Chief Bode George who singularly proclaimed him Chairman without the authority of the National organs of the Party nor the endorsement of majority of our members in Lagos”.
Adewale challenged Salvador to show the world a letter or certificate from the National working committee of the PDP authorizing him to function in the office of the Party Chairman in Lagos. “We can no longer allow this illegality to continue unchallenged. We have therefore petitioned the Police, DSS and all relevant security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone impersonating the PDP and those dealing with the impostors in Lagos State.” He stated.
The Chairman lamented that every attempt made by his executives to reconcile with members of the Markafi’s group towards the Local Government election was frustrated by Salvador. “Salvador is simply seeking personal agenda at the detriment of the Party. They are covertly working to ensure the victory of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Local Government polls, while defrauding our members of funds needed to prosecute a successful election”.
In citing the Party’s constitution, the chairman advised aspirants who had fallen into Salvador’s schemes to retrieve their money from him by employing all legal means. “Salvador has no authority whatsoever to present any candidate to LASIEC at the polls. According to section 50. (1) of the PDP constitution, the National Executive Committee of the Party is the only organ saddled with the authority of nominating candidates to INEC or any other authority to whom it may concern for election into any public office in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the electoral acts.”
Adewale wondered why some staff members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission ( LASIEC) have continued dealing with Salvador in total disregard of the PDP constitution and a letter from the National Executive Committee disowning Salvador’s illegal committee. “Any further dealings with Salvador by LASIEC staff will be viewed as an attempt to rig the polls in favour of the APC.
“We are fully aware of a grand plan by the ruling APC to distract us using Salvador and a few greedy elements while they again impose their stooge at the grassroots. We will resist every such collaborations using all available legal means at our disposal.”
It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal siting in Port Harcourt had ruled in favour of Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic National Chairman of the party under whose authority Otunba Segun Adewale and his executives operate in Lagos State.
