•I’ll never take what is not mine, Afolabi Jimoh insists
•Kamarudeen, PDP’s new ‘winner’, keeps mum
Mr. Afolabi Adewole Jimoh is the controversial Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) candidate in Offa Local Government in the last Saturday’s re-run
election in Kwara State. He came out in the open to counter his party’s
claim that he won in the poll. He had since become the first in the
Nigerian political history to refuse a freely given victory in an
election, throwing away the sumptuous spoils of a political office even
when others would stop at nothing to grab such opportunity, rightly or
wrongly given.
Though PDP later disowned him on the grounds
that he had ceased to be its member and was no more a candidate in the
election, his name still featured in the Kwara State Independent
Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) list of candidates for the election.
But the PDP’s main rival in the poll, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) will not take kindly to the claim, as it clutches the official
list of the KWASIEC to prove that it actually won in the council
election.
The matter has since become more dramatic with the
PDP parading another person in the name of Kanarudeen Olagunju Olalekan
whose name is said not to feature on the KWASIEC list for the election
but who PDP would want to claim the rejected victory.
Jimoh’s victory rejection declaration
“ I am Afolabi Adewole Jimoh, the candidate of PDP in the last
Saturday’s election for Shawo South West ward. In all the eight polling
units in my ward (Shawo SouthWest) the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
lost, while All Progressives Congress (APC) won convincingly in all the
polling units in the rerun election held on 31st of August, 2013. As a
citizen of this great town of Offa, I know full well that the town
stands for equity and justice. To me, I know that we shall give account
of all our acts on this earth one day.
“On that day there will
be no influence from anybody, be it Oba, governor, leader, elder, father
or mother, you will be left alone with your deeds. In this wise, I have
resolved not be partaker of getting what is not mine from anybody at
all. In Offa, in Kwara state and in Nigeria as whole. As a native of
this town, I don’t wish my town a bad thing. If something like this
continues to happen and we decide to cover it up for one reason or the
other, if not now, in future we surely account for it.
“It is
very good for us to call a spade a spade anywhere we see it. By doing
this you are helping yourself and others. In the interest of peace and
justice in Offa and Kwara state, KWSIEC should release the authentic
results of the last Saturday council poll in Offa.
“The people
of Offa have said that they don’t want PDP. It is clear that Offa people
want APC. It is clear also that Offa people don’t want PDP. The
election is a test for both APC and PDP. Test for PDP to right the
wrongs by checking out what it is that the people don’t want in PDP.
What is it that they (PDP) have been doing that make the people hate
them. For the APC that won, it should check itself and examine what it
has been doing that makes it acceptable in Offa.”
His encounter
with Sunday Mirror: But the way you speak, how are we sure you are not
an APC agent planted in the PDP, paid to do this hatchet job to
discredit the PDP, the opponent of APC?
I am not paid and I am
never a member of APC. I did not collect money from anybody to do what I
am doing now. APC people are here; ask them if I collect anything from
them. I am a Muslim and I know the teaching of our prophet, Mohammed
(SAW). He said we should not take what does not belong to us. I did not
win that election and they announced that I won. PDP did not win in my
unit and in all the units in Shawo South West ward. I advise every other
person to have the fear of god and come out to say the truth., I don’t
have money but I know money will come when God wants mew to have. People
should fear God please. So that is my own.
Are you not afraid of what could happen to you the way you have come to expose things during the election?
No, I am not afraid. I am not afraid of anybody but Almighty Allah. He
is the one who gives us life and will take it, when it pleases Him. He’s
a big liar, says PDP
However, at a press conference addressed
by the PDP to counter Jimoh’s claims, Kamarudeen Olagunju was paraded by
Prince Yemi Afolayan, Secretary of the PDP who said Jimoh had for two
years defected from the party and so could not have been PDP’s candidate
in the re-run election. Olagunju who looked uncomfortable throughout
the press briefing, was taken up by journalists at the end of the
conference and it went thus:
What is your name?
My
name is Olalekan Kamarudeen. The councillor for Shawo South West. There
is a contention that you are not the PDP candidate for this election? I
am the PDP candidate for the election.
When did you become the candidate?
As from—– (looks confused and could not remember but an official of the
state PDP interjected by and answered for him…“He is not the one that
should answer that question. The Offa L.G PDP chairman should answer
that question.”
One Alhaji Rabiu Goke who is the Offa LG
chairman then quipped and said, “With the direction of the PDP Exco, we
were given a directive that we should quickly conduct primaries. He
contested for that position among the executives in the ward and he came
first. That is how he became the flagbearer of the party in that
election. Then, the series of questions continued:
In the list of councilors which you displayed, during the election was his name there?
Rabiu Goke: Yes.
We have a statement from APC that the name of the person there (KWASIEC
list) is Mr. Afolabi Jimoh Olawole, the man that rejected his victory?
Rabiu Goke: No. No. It is not true. When KWASIEC displayed the list, we
wrote to them through the state secretary of the party that they should
make the necessary corrections immediately. They said based on the
judgment given to them, they could not alter the names. Then, other
journalists on hand threw more questions at Kamarudeen:
Your were adjudged the winner of that election. What did you score? How many votes did you score?
Kamarudeen:…..(He remained silence) The PDP state officer then
interjected and said; “He cannot take the questions. Go to KWASIEC. He
is not the person that should answer that question.” And he herded
Kamaruldeen away.
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