•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