Hope James
A Federal High court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital has nullified all the primary elections conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
In his judgement, the presiding judge, Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo, ordered the party to conduct another primaries within 14 days.
The court equally barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.
NEWSTODAYNG recalled that the PDP, on May 25, conducted the primary election which produced Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party.
However, three members of the party, Taiwo Olabode Idris, Kehinde Akala, and Alhaji Ayinde Monsuri dragged the party, Adebutu, and INEC to court, challenging the authenticity of the delegates’ lists used for the conduct of the primaries.
The plaintiffs stated that the persons on delegates’ list used by electoral panel for the primaries were not democratically elected at the ward, local government, and state congresses, hence the panel “cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily impose” the list on the party for the primaries.
The plaintiffs, in their originating summons, prayed the court among others to nullify or set aside the state congress/indirect primary election held by the 1st defendant (PDP) on May 25, 2022 “for the purpose of choosing the candidate which the 1st Defendant intends to nominate/sponsor at the 2023 Governorship election in Ogun State based on the list of delegates WHO were not democratically elected at the ward congress.”
They also sought an order directing the 2nd defendant (INEC) “to disregard and/or refrain from giving effect to the results of the alleged 1st Defendant’s indirect primary election held on the 25th of May, 2022 based on the list of ad-hoc delegates who were not elected at the ward congresses constituted by the 1st Defendant for that purpose.”
