Withdrawal of candidate in Osun

The PDM withdrew Mr. Akinola from the
governorship race last June.
The Peoples’ Democratic Movement, PDM, has
reiterated its decision to withdraw its candidate
from the August 9 gubernatorial election in Osun
State.
In a statement, Friday, the party said that it had not
reversed its decision to withdraw Timothy Akinola,
its governorship candidate, from the election.
“The decision of the party and its reasons for
withdrawing Mr. Akinola as its flag bearer was
communicated to the Chairman INEC, the Chairman
of PDM in Osun State and Mr. Akinola himself,” the
party said in a statement signed by Oluwole
Akinwumi, its National Secretary.
The PDM withdrew Mr. Akinola from the
governorship race in June after accusing him of
anti-party activities.
The party accused Mr. Akinola of “holding meetings
with candidates of the opposition political parties
without its consent, insisting that it amounts to anti-
party activities.
“Other reasons for his withdrawal had to do with his
continuous failure to honour invitation to meetings
by the National Secretariat and his lack of
preparedness and inability to present a concrete
plan for campaign few weeks before the election,”
the PDM stated in a letter dated June 23, 2014,
addressed to Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The party also notified INEC that it would not be
fielding any candidate in the election.
In the statement issued on Friday, the PDM said that
it was surprised to find Mr. Akinola listed in a recent
newspaper publication as one of the 20
gubernatorial candidates participating in the August
9 governorship election in Osun State on its
platform.
“This press statement is issued to draw attention to
the earlier decision of the party to withdraw Mr.
Akinola from contesting the election on its platform
and to dissociate the Party and its members in
Osun State from the newspaper report. Our Party
members in Osun State and the General Public are
please to take note,” Mr. Akinwumi said.