- Party urges supporters to remain calm, focused
A Federal High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, on Friday nullified the candidature of the ADC governorship flag bearer in Ogun State, Biyi Otegbeye, noting that the primary election which produced Otegbeye was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The court ruled that the primary held in violation of the Electoral Act, while noting that the candidature of Biyi Otegbeye is against provisions of Electoral Act.
Meanwhile, the ADC in Ogun State has urged all its members and supporters to remain calm and focused on their campaign efforts.
The party’s Legal Adviser in Ogun State, Ifenla Oligbinde, said in a statement on Friday that while awaiting details of the judgement, the legal team has been instructed to appeal the said ruling.
“We are of the firm opinion that the processes through which all our candidates emerged, are in genuine conformity with extant provisions of the Electoral Act and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have no doubt whatsoever that the validity of all our candidates will be sustained on appeal.
“We urge all our party members and supporters to remain calm and focused on their campaign efforts.
“This pattern of distraction cannot change our resolve to form a pro-people’s government in Ogun State in 2023, Oligbinde said.
In another development, the Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta has also declared the purported governorship re- run primary election organized by dissident members of the People’s Democratic Party led by Jimi Adebisi Lawal to be illegal, unconstitutional and void.
The suit filed by the PDP and Oladipupo Adebutu with number FHC/AB/CS/220/2022 against Jimi Adebisi Lawal and others came after Lawal organized a rerun primary on October 17 in clear disobedience to the party’s guidelines and provision of the 2022 Electoral Act.
In the judgment reportedly delivered by Justice Akintayo Aluko, all the three questions formulated in the Plaintiffs’ Originating Summons were resolved in favour of the PDP and Adebutu.
The court reportedly declared that the purported gubernatorial rerun primary election of the PDP in Ogun State purportedly conducted on the 17th October, 2022 was not conducted in compliance with the orders made by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Division in Suit No: FHC/AB/CS/83/2022 between Prince Adesegun Seriki and Ors v INEC and Ors and Suit No: FHC/AB/CS/87/2022 between Taiwo Olabode Idris and Ors v PDP and Ors both of which were delivered on the 27th day of September, 2022.
The court further declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission cannot validly accept the name of Lawal as the candidate of the PDP as the purported re- run governorship primary election is illegal, unconstitutional and void.
Lawal had approached the Federal High Court in Abeokuta with application for a writ of Mandamus for the purpose of compelling INEC to accept the result of the fake rerun primary in suit No: FHC/AB/CS/222/2022 filed by Taiwo Olabode Idris and others (Jimi LAWAL’s cohorts) against Independent National Electoral Commission which was struck out by the court on November 3, 2022.
