Mayegun Sunday Olusegun Babanumi has dismissed as false and misleading the newsflash currently being circulated by an online publication which claims that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has adopted a consensus candidate for Ibadan North West and Ibadan South West Federal Constituency.
Reacting to the report, Mayegun Babanumi stated that the screening exercise recently conducted by the PDP Screening Committee did not pronounce any aspirant as a consensus candidate for the Federal House of Representatives seat.
“This is a total act of shortchanging the mindset of faithfuls and loyalists of the PDP in Ibadan North West and Ibadan South West Federal Constituency,” Babanumi said. “At no time did the aspirants agree to a consensus candidacy, nor did the committee declare anyone as such.”
He described the publication as the handiwork of one of the aspirants, noting that the “mischievous and deceiving act only portrays the character of the person behind the news.” He called on the party leadership to penalise and disqualify any aspirant attempting to pre-empt the decision of the committee, stressing that such conduct undermines internal democracy.
Babanumi further clarified that the photograph of three aspirants attached to the online report was taken before the screening committee began its sitting, in the spirit of party camaraderie, and not as an endorsement of any candidate. “Using such a picture is a sheer attempt to shortchange voters’ mindset towards the projected candidate in the publication,” he added.
“Our investigation reveals that all the aspirants for the position of the Federal House of Representatives in Ibadan North West and Ibadan South West never at any time agreed to a consensus candidacy as being rumoured,” Babanumi stated.
He appealed to his supporters to resist any attempt to impose a candidate and to dismiss any act that seeks to deny them their democratic right to choose a representative of their choice.
“Ibadan North West and Ibadan South West are not puppets for any kangaroo decision or an instrument of fulfilling any cabal ambition,” Mayegun Babanumi declared.
By our Reporters.
