Osun PDP: Court affirms Adeleke as governorship candidate

 

• Babayemi reacts, says PDP must win the state

The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Wednesday, affirmed Senator Ademola Adeleke as the validly elected candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate for the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.

The court dismissed a suit filed by Prince Dotun Babayemi, seeking to be declared the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the poll.

In his judgment, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, stated that the primary election conducted at the WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, on the 8th of March, 2022, which produced Babayemi was null and void.

He noted that the court could not pick candidates for any political party, adding that it was an internal party issue and therefore dismissed the matter.

According to Justice Emmanuel, Babayemi did not participate in the PDP primary election.

Earlier, in a list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke was recognised as a duly elected candidate of PDP for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

INEC recognised the PDP primary held at the Osogbo City Stadium, under the supervision of Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as Chairman where Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke was declared the winner.

While, the parallel primary of Wale Ojo faction held at the WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo which produced Dotun Babayemi as the PDP candidate was not endorsed.

It was for this reason that Babayemi approached the court to challenge the submission and nomination of Ademola Adeleke by the PDP to INEC and the validity of the primaries conducted at the stadium against the one conducted at WOCDIF.

Meanwhile, factional governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, Dotun Babayemi has reacted to the ruling of a Federal High court affirming Senator Ademola Adeleke as the elected candidate of the party.

The court presided over by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, dismissed the suit filed by Babayemi, seeking to be declared as the party’s candidate.

In his reaction after the court judgment, Babayemi said nobody had lost adding that PDP must win the forthcoming election.

This is contained in a statement issued by his Media Office and signed by the Director of Media, Kayode Oladeji on Wednesday.

Babayemi stated that he is concerned about the change of power in the state whereby the people will be rescued from the current harrowing experiences they are going through.

He said, “Nobody has lost and that’s why whatever we arrive at, must be in the best interest of the people”

“At this juncture, I would like to state, very unequivocally and very emphatically, that in the case just decided by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, there was not, there is not and there will not be a loser.

“Above all, whatever our decision is, the overall interest of the state and its people must be of paramount concern to all concerned. This is the more reason the PDP must win the coming governorship election in Osun and that’s what we are itching for.”

He noted that the legal route taken was part of the ingredients that makes democracy to thrive.

On his next step, he said it would be decided after getting copies of the judgment which would be evaluated legally and politically before making the next move.

He, however, insisted that the next line of action to be taken by him and others concerned, would be thoroughly viewed from legal and political perspectives.

“We are not backing out. What makes sense most will be the collective interest of our people. The whole essence of what we are trying to do is to bring sanity to our party. We can not give up because everything is not working fine,” he said

While appreciating the party leaders and stakeholders for their collective steadfastness, he assured that everyone in the party was committed to ensuring that the party wins at the coming polls.

He thanked his supporters across the state and appealed to them to remain calm and law-abiding.