•It’s an effort in futility – Sunday Bisi caucus
•Dele Adeleke hails ruling
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-jesa on Thursday recognised officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elected in 215 wards under the immediate past state chairman of the party as those eligible to participate in next week’s governorship primary of the party. The primary is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
Justice A. Aderibigbe gave the order while ruling on an exparte application brought by 31 ward chairmen from 25 local government areas “elected at the 25 September, 2021 ward congress supervised by Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo.” Defendants in the suit are the Peoples Democraic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The enrollment of order, a copy of which was obtained by Saturday Tribune, reads: “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, IjebuJesa, Osun State, on the 3rd day of March 2022, and after hearing Mr Edmund Z. Biriomoni for the applicant who moved his application, 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 include 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 mandatory interlocutory injunction on the defendants/respondents before the return date. “The return date shall be Thursday, 10/03/2022.”
Reacting to the judgement, the Director of Media of the Osun PDP loyal to Hon. Sunday Bisi, Mr Oladele Bamiji described the suit as an effort in futility, stating that the court has no business in the running of affairs of the PDP.
Bamiji said the party’s legal team will study the case when the party is served and will respond accordingly to it. He however, said the governorship primaries slated for Tuesday will hold.
“It’s an effort in futility. I wonder while our people continue to shop for ex-parte orders here and there. The court has no business in how we run our party affairs. The court can not impose a process on us.
“This is so unfortunate. But I can tell you that that the party Congress slated for Tuesday will hold.”
When asked if the participants will be those recognised by the Court, Bamiji said, “I can’t say anything about that. I know our national headquarters will study that and they will respond accordingly. They NWC conducts Congress and they decide on who to participate.”
Speaking with InsightMedia on phone, one of the governorship aspirants, Mr Bamidele Adeleke hailed the ruling of the court, expressing confidence that the PDP national hierarchy will have no problem abiding by the judgement.
Adeleke said, “The judgement is very simple that clarifies the process and who the participants are in the forthcoming primaries. You know when the process is faulty, the product will be defective too. It’s very important that the process complies with law and our guidelines of our party. So, we’re happy that the court was able to clarify that. We look forward to the primaries and we hope our people would come out en masse to vote who the eventual candidate will be.”
“The PDP is peopled by law abiding individuals who respect law. You know our National Chairman is a former Senate President, that shows the highest level of how law abiding we are in our party. We have no problem in abiding by valid court order. So the party will abide.”
