The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Oluseyi Makinde, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not field a candidate in next year’s governorship election because of a lawsuit.

Makinde, who was a PDP aspirant, joined the SDP last Monday.

He spoke at the unveiling of the structure of his new party in Ibadan, the state capital of Oyo during the weekend.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu that a Federal High Court has restrained it from recognising any candidate who emerged from a primary, whose delegates differed from the one it ruled in favour of.

The letter, dated December 9 and signed by the commission’s Secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu, urged the PDP to act in line with the court ruling.

The three-paragraph letter reads: “This is to confirm receipt of service of the Order of Federal High Court, Abuja, in respect of the above suit in which you were represented by counsel.

“The court restrained the commission from accepting, recognising or treating as nominated candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, any candidate who did not emerge in accordance with the order of the court. You may wish to be guided accordingly, please.”

Explaining why he joined the SDP, Makinde said he approached members of the PDP national leadership before the primaries and he was assured of a level-playing field.

He said they reneged on their promise because they worked in favour of Teslim Folarin.

The SDP candidate said the party refused to allow the right delegates to emerge through the ward congresses.

Makinde added that three of the five-member committee that conducted the ward congress endorsed the list of appropriate delegates but that the leadership chose to use a list allegedly prepared by a particular candidate.

Consequently, Makinde said the litigations arising from the development may eventually ensure that the PDP does not have a valid candidate in the election.

He urged his supporters to work for the SDP’s success in the February election.

But Folarin described Makinde’s comments as the ranting of a defeated player.

The PDP candidate, who spoke through his spokesman, Victor Oluwadamilare, said yesterday that Makinde wants to eat his cake and have it.

According to him, the suit filed against his (Folarin’s) candidature by one of Makinde’s supporters would be thrown out because the latter has left the PDP.

His words: “The problem with Seyi Makinde is that he wants to eat his cake and have it.

“His suit will be thrown out because he has left the PDP. He can’t be in the SDP and be talking about the PDP.

“The delegates who voted for Folarin have spoken. If the delegates had chosen him, he would not have been complaining.

“It is an internal crisis and if you have not exhausted the internal mechanism process before going to court, you will just be wasting your time. He is just ranting.”

On the INEC letter, Oluwadamilare said the commission did that only to show fairness to all parties, emphasising that the PDP would still reconfirm Folarin as its candidate.