Date: 2015-03-26

Barely two days to the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP’s) for Ilorin West /Asa Federal Constituency, Alhaji Sherif Shagaya, has reportedly intensified efforts in mounting pressure on his Labour Party’s counterpart, Hon. Sikiru Ayinde Wahab, to step down for him.

Both Shagaya and Wahab hail from Ajikobi ward in Ilorin West Local Government area of Kwara State and would be faced by the Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Barrister Rasak Atunwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

National Pilot in its edition 33 vol 21, had exclusively reported how financial scandal rocked the party over the alleged largesse from Shagaya and the alleged moves by some elders of the Labour Party to placate Wahab to concede to Shagaya’s offers.

But two days to the election, this medium learnt that Shagaya had doubled efforts in his quest to see Wahab, who is reportedly accepted and respected in the area, back down on his aspiration.

 To achieve this, a source within the party, confirmed to this paper yesterday that Shagaya, had reportedly sent emissaries to Wahab to convince him to jettison his ambition for him.

 It had early been rumoured that Wahab had been allegedly ‘settled’ by sheriff, but the latter reportedly denied the development.

The source disclosed that Shagaya reportedly held a meeting with the LP candidate, where he was said to have pleaded with him to step down for him.

At the meeting, the source alleged that Shagaya offered to refund all the campaign expenses of Wahab should he step down for him and support him.

It was also gathered that a top leader of the political party had held a series of meetings with Wahab to back down on his ambition but the LP candidate was said to be adamant and resolute with aspiration. According to another source in the area, Shagaya is reportedly worried because of the perceived popularity and acceptance of the LP House of Representatives’ candidate for the constituency.

When contacted last night, Wahab, who was confident of his victory at the polls, said he was not under pressure to step down for any candidate.

The LP candidate, who spoke in a telephone conversation with one of our reporters, denied collecting money from Shagaya and declared that he was still in the race for the Saturday’s election.

He, however, called on any person who might collected money on his behalf for him to step down to refund it, vowing that he would not back down on his aspirant to represent the constituency in the National Assembly.