Jimi Agbaje speaks on his defection

The Lagos State Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 9 election, Mr Jimi Agbaje, on Wednesday said there was no truth in the report that he had left the party.

Agbaje, in a statement by Mr Felix Oboagwina, his Director of Media and Publicity, said he was still in PDP and nobody could force him out.

He attributed insinuations that he had dumped PDP to mischief-makers determined to soil his reputation, provoke crisis within the party and dampen the spirit of party members and his supporters.

“I have never discussed with anyone any plan to dump PDP, neither has such a prospect crossed my mind.

“There is no reason for it. It is uncalled for,” he said.

Agbaje said he would remain in the party, despite the campaign of calumny being waged against him in the media by a few leaders.

He said he only on Monday released a message encouraging members to rise above the questionable defeats suffered in the last election and maintain faith in the party.

According to him, it will be contradictory for him to suddenly turn tail and flee the same party.

“For a party that has twice accorded me the honour of running on its platform, I should be regarded as uncharitable to say I am abandoning PDP now,” Agbaje said.

He said the recent vituperation in the press and social media against his person and his role in the last election were the machinations of the people he called political “featherweights”.

Agbaje said he was having issues with some people because he disbursed campaign funds to candidates as instructed, contrary to the Lagos PDP tradition of sharing money to party leaders.

“The era of taking a share of what is not ours must stop in our party.

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“The bitterness is from those who find it difficult to believe that money can be channeled without a ‘cut’ being taken. Leaders must lead by example,” he said.

Agbaje also said that he relinquished the management of his firm, Jaykay Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005 into the post of non-executive Chairman and that neither he nor the company handled any contract from any State or Federal Government.

He also denied being a mole for the All Progressives Congress (APC) or its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, both of whom, he said, suffered from the butt of his campaign.

“My campaigns have been very clear on where the blame of bad governance in Lagos State should lie.

“It baffles me how the same people I hold responsible for the bondage we find ourselves in Lagos will be funding me to sabotage my party, PDP.

“I have never collected a single kobo from the ruling party in Lagos State directly or indirectly nor from its leadership or representatives”, he said.

Agbaje said that party leaders who stood on the sidelines or worked against the party in the elections should not be fooled that the loss at the elections was as a result of their negative actions.

“They should not arrogate to themselves powers they do not have.

“The elections were lost due to the intimidation of people which in turn led to voter apathy, such that Lagos recorded the lowest percentage turnout in the country,” ’he said.