THE crisis within People Democratic Party (PDP), Osun State has taken a new twist ahead of the guber primary election billed to hold on March 8th, 2022 as the court give a nod to the eligibility of 215 wards executives loyal to the faction of former chairman and deputy national chairman, Southwest, Soji Adagunodo.
Osun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ijesa presided over by Justice A. Aderibigbe gave an enrollment order recognising officers elected in 215 wards under Adagunodo’s tenure for the party primary.
The motion exparte was filed by Edmund Biriomoni on behalf of 31 ward chairmen from 25 local government areas elected on 25th September 2021 ward congress supervised by Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The order read: “Upon hearing the motion exparte, an affidavit of Mr. Adedokun Ademola, male, Nigerian, Christian, adult, Ward 1, Egbedore Local Government Area, Osun State, sworn and filed at High Court registry, Ijebu-Ijesa, Osun State, on the 3rd day of March 2022, and after hearing the court then ordered as follows:
“An order of mandatory interim injunction of this court is granting, recognising the ward executive officers elected on the 25th of September, 2021 in the following wards listed as (a) – (y) on this application as the only authentic and/ or authorised elected ward executive officers permitted to vote delegates at the
party’s governorship primary scheduled to take place on the 8th of March, 2022, the state congress, state assembly primary, National Assembly primary, and presidential primary respectively in full compliance with the judgment of the court delivered on the 22nd of November, 2021 affirming all actions taken by Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun State Chapter which includes the conduct of the ward executive congress on the 25th of September, 2021, pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
“The plaintiffs/applicants are ordered to effect the service of the motion on notice for a mandatory interlocutory injunction on the defendants/respondents before the return date. “The return date shall be Thursday, 10/03/2022.”
Meanwhile, the PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Oluwabamiji, speaking with The Nation, said, despite the court order, the primary would hold on Tuesday.
He said, “Such an injunction does not hold water to us as far as we are concerned. A Supreme Court declaration about it is very clear that the court cannot dabble into the internal affairs of a political party. We know some elements in the party are just trying to carry out some hatchet job for APC and they don’t want us to have a candidate in the coming election. But we are moving ahead of them. The national body of our party will handle (issue of injunction) and react appropriately. We are going ahead with our primaries on Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, an aspirant, the Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi in a statement signed by his aide, Tolulope Ajayi, commended the court for the order he described as fair.
Source: The Nation
