The Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation has stated that Senator Ademola Adeleke has been officially recognised as the Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the forthcoming Osun governorship election.
Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the Director of Media and Strategy, Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation made this known in a statement obtained by InsightMedia on Wednesday in Osogbo.
The statement said the court injunction granted by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe of Osun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-jesa has lapse as the court has been robbed of jurisdiction following the filing of appeal at the Akure Division of the Court of Appeal.
The statement read, “The controversy on who flies the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner in the July 16 governorship poll was on Wednesday laid to rest as the order restraining the PDP and the electoral commission from recognising Senator Ademola Adeleke lapsed today with Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe refusing to renew an order recognising the claim of one Dotun Babayemi to the governorship ticket.
“Babayemi had declined participation in party primary organised by the National Working Committee (NWC) but had since been riding on an ex-parte order granted by the judge presiding over Ijebu-Jesa division of the Osun State High Court. Even after the NWC officially presented the certificate of returns to Senator Adeleke , Babayemi refused to recognise the party leadership.
“On Wednesday, the High Court of Osun State sitting in Ijebujesa adjourned indefinitely the suit filed before it by one ADEMOLA ADEDOKUN & 31 ORS against the primary election conducted by the PDP which produced Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governorship candidate of the Party.
“Granting an application by Hashim Abioye Esq who appeared for the Applicants dissociating themselves to the suit, the court observed that Abioye has filed and entered appeal for the applicants at the Court of Appeal, Akure marked CA/AK/38/2022 as such he adjourned the matter sine dine.
“With the development, the ex-parte order made by Justice Aderibigbe has automatically lapsed by the provision of the High Court Rules of Osun State.
“Therefore Senator Ademola Adeleke remains the official candidate of the PDP for July 16th, 2022 Governorship election in Osun State.
“In an earlier judgement on Osun PDP crisis, an Appeal Court sitting in Akure had noted that the lifetime of an exparte order is seven days, and can only be renewed for another seven days.
“An excerpt of the judgement reads that “The clear implication of the above cited rules of the court is that an order made exparte shall AUTOMATICALLY abate after seven days. See Fagbola vs Titilayo (supra), and where the court is inclined to grant an extension, for reasons advanced, such an extension shall not be for a period exceeding 7 days from the day it is granted.”
“The Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation therefore repeated its earlier olive branch to fellow contenders for the governorship ticket of the party. This is the time to jaw jaw and unite for victory in July. We urge all aggrieved party members to sheath their swords and join hands with Senator Adeleke to win the forthcoming elections.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Publicity Secretary of the party in Osun State, Areola Ayodeji has told newsmen that the party is not unaware of the lies in the media space, stating that Adeleke has been officially pronounced as the candidate of the PDP.
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“Let me inform you gentlemen of the Press that we are not unaware of the misinformation being circulated by a tiny minority within Osun State PDP supported by the APC agents that the order of interim injunction made by Aderibigbe operates indefinitely. That is far from the truth as that position will be preposterous and against logic, law and reason. An ex-parte order has a 7-day life span and unless expressly extended, it automatically vanishes after the 7-day period. In the case of PDP.V. ADAGUNODO in CA/AK/349/2020, the Court of Appeal has this to say on the life span of an ex-parte order” PDP P.R.O added
“The implication of the above position is that there is no court order disturbing our candidate any longer. We therefore call on all the good people of Osun State to rally round Senator Ademola Adeleke who emerged as the candidate of our great party at our Special State Congress held last week by voting for him en-masse so as to deliver the good people of Osun State from the wrecks and ruins of the APC administration”. Hon Ayodeji concluded.
