The Federal High Court in Osogbo has ruled that Senator Ademola Adeleke is the duly recognised gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Osun 2022 gubernatorial election.

In the judgment, which was delivered early on Wednesday by Justice Nathaniel Ayo Emmanuel, Dotun Babayemi did not participate in the PDP primary election.

Justice Emmanuel, who held that the court could not pick candidates for any political party, also added that it was an internal party issue and therefore the matter was dismissed.

During the PDP gubernatorial primary election held on March 8, the Wale Ojo faction which produced Dotun Babayemi held a parallel primary at the WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo.

In the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised PDP primary held at the Osogbo City Stadium, under the supervision of Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, as Chairman, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke was declared the winner.

In a list of candidates later released by INEC, Adeleke was recognised as a duly elected candidate of PDP in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

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.

vicdom:
cc: Fergie0.01

fergie001:


Judgement is in order. Even if it goes up to the Supreme Court, nothing will come out of it.

vicdom:

Yeah.. Grounds of Locus and non-justiciabiliy because it's an internal party affairs.

Clement Olasoji Adagunodo was elected in 2016 during the Sheriff/Makarfi Court cases. He led the Sheriff-group whilst Bayo Faforiji (Omisore group) led the Makarfi side. However, Adagunodo's faction led Ademola to win the Osun West Senate seat after the death of Serubawon.

Following the 2017 Supreme Court judgement validating Makarfi and the crisis that enveloped especially the Osun & Ogun Chapters of the PDP, a Congress was held in Osun wherein on 25th of March 2018, Adagunodo and his faction (including Bisi Sunday, then Osun PDP PRO) were returned in the NWC-supervised Congress for a term of four years.

With reports that Adagunodo backed Ademola's rival at the PDP Primaries, the subsequent loss of the PDP at the Supreme Court only propelled the Adelekes (major financiers of Osun PDP till date) to do something about the Adagunodo's issue since Ademola already made up his mind to re-contest. In a palace coup, after a series of petitions filed by majority members of the Osun PDP State Working Committee, the PDP NWC on April 30, 2020 suspended Adagunodo on allegations of malfeasance, anti-party & maladministration. His Deputy, Sunday Akande Atidade was to continue in Acting Capacity.

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The PDP thereafter, set up a fact-finding Committee and later a Disciplinary Committee to investigate the petitions. On September 29, 2020 the PDP NWC ratified his suspension and following the Party's Constitution on Zoning, Bisi Sunday was adopted as Chairman to complete the tenure and has been attending NEC ever since.

In a flurry of suits, Adagunodo approached an Ikirun High Court on November 03, 2020 with an ex-parte to be reinstated as Chairman which was granted. On November 09, 2020, with the PDP represented and arguments over the expiration of the ex-parte ongoing, the Court transmitted it to a preservative order (i.e. Adagunodo remains Chairman pending the determination of the matter before the Court).

Dissatisfied, the PDP, Bisi Sunday & Ors approached the Akure Appeal Court which gave verdict on March 5, 2021 upturning the Ikirun preservative order. Adagunodo appealed to the Supreme Court, and the verdict is still been awaited. The matter before the Court continued with another Judge at the same Ikirun High Court with the plaintiff (Adagunodo) applying for the conversion of the case to a writs.

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The trial Judge continued to hear the case without ruling on the PDP's preliminary objection on the application for conversion, hence the PDP, Bisi Sunday & Ors went to the Appeal Court. The case is still pending, and an application for a Stay of proceedings at the Ikirun High Court was granted sine die pending the judgement of the Appeal Court.

Following the removal of Secondus and the October PDP Convention in 2021, Congresses were held in 9 States wrt their vacancies to be filled. The two factions (Adagunodo & Bisi Sunday) held their respective Ward/National Delegates Congresses on September 25, 2021. However, the PDP National Convention upheld the Congress held by the Bisi Sunday faction.
Ironically, Adagunodo was elected PDP Vice-Chairman, South-West at the Convention ( a position he holds till date).

The National Convention is the highest authority of any political Party in Nigeria whose decision(s) can only be upturned by another National Convention.

With Adagunodo's new position, his faction met and chose Wale Ojo as Ag Chairman, who applied to an Ife High Court for the cancellation of the Ward Congresses held by the Bisi Sunday faction, but later withdrew the case after the PDP countered the preliminary objection.

The same Wale Ojo (acting on behalf of the faction) approached another Court in Ijebu-jesa asking the Court to validate the preservation order of November 09, 2020. The Court granted this on November 22, 2021.

How can the High Court validate a preservative order already set aside by an Appeal Court? ......Hmmm

In February 2022, Bisi Sunday approached the the same High Court to set aside its verdict of November 22, 2021 but failed.

On March 4, 2022...Justice Aderibigbe via a Motion exparte brought forth by about 30 persons ruled that Ward EXCOs of Adagunodo's faction elected on September 25, 2021 will vote in the Primaries.

On what premise will a Court invalidate the decision of a Party's National Convention

Another Judge, J Onibokun of the Osun High Court, Ikirun also ruled that PDP should go ahead with the Primaries with the NWC-backed Ward EXCOs. In the face of conflicting orders and not to fall into the trap of disobeying the first Court order, the Primaries was held on March 8 with PDP excluding all Ward EXCOs from voting.

Ex-Parte has a lifespan of 7 days and to be renewed only once. So, the Ward EXCOs are back.

When the suit came up again, some of the 30 persons insisted that they were not part of the suit and approached the Appeal Court in Akure. Justice Aderibigbe had no choice than to adjourn the suit sine die.

Dotun Babayemi is from the Wale Ojo group, so how can he win?
He didn't participate in the NWC-backed Primary.
The Court cannot delve into the internal affairs of a Political Party.

It's a straightforward case, good they have made up cos it's a no-brainer

dedonfranco:
PDP should take Osun state from APC

APC should take Abia state from PDP.

fergie001:


Let me give you a rundown of this Adeleke's case.....It's a long type.