Osun 2022: Court Restrains PDP, INEC From Recognising Adeleke As Gov Candidate

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Jesa has restrained Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising any other governorship candidate, except the one elected by the 215 ward executives elected on September 25, 2021.

The court also granted an interim order affirming 215 delegates elected on September 25, 2021, as the authentic delegates.

The mandatory injunction dated 10th March 2022 and obtained on Friday, was sequel to a motion ex parte filed on behalf of Adedokun Ademola and 29 others by his counsel, Edmund Biriomoni.

The court held that, “an order of mandatory interim injunction is granted by this court recognising or affirming the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun state governorship primary conducted on the 8th of March, 2022, wherein the ward executive officers elected on the 25th of September, 2021 in the following wards listed as (a) -(y) in the motion paper of the Peoples Democratic Party voted as delegates in full complaint with the judgement of the court delivered on 22nd of November, 2021 and order of the mandatory interim injunction granted on the 3rd of March, 2022, affirming the 215 ward executive officers as the authentic/or authorised elected ward executive officers permitted to vote as delegates at the party governorship primaries.

“An order of mandatory interim injunction of this court is granted restraining the defendants/respondents from recognising any other governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun state conducted on the 8th of March, 2022, apart from the governorship primaries conducted on the 8th of March, 2022 wherein ward executive officers elected on the 25th of September, 2021 in the following wards listed as (a) -(y) in the motion papers, of the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun state voted as delegates at governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun state in full compliance with the judgement of the court delivered on the 22nd of November, 2021 and order of mandatory interim injunction granted on the 3rd of March, 2022 affirming the 215 ward executive officers as the authentic/or authorised or elected ward executive officers permitted to vote as delegates at the party governorship primaries.”

The court presided over by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, subsequently fixed further hearing on the matter for Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

Speaking on the implications of the order on Friday, counsel to the plaintiff, Biriomoni said he approached the court seeking the order, after a faction in PDP used another delegate list apart from the one authorised by the court at a governorship primary which produced Senator Ademola Adeleke.

He said the decision of the court had affirmed the emergence of Prince Dotun Babayemi, who was elected by the delegates that had been pronounced as the authentic delegates authorised to choose the governorship candidate of the party.

But counsel to some of the people listed as plaintiffs, who have already informed the court that they did not know about the suit, Hashim Abioye in a separate chat said the interim order had been challenged.

Abioye also said he had filed application before the court informing it that said some of the plaintiffs had dissociated themselves from the matter.