Osun guber: Court affirms Adeleke as PDP candidate

A Federal High Court, sitting in Osogbo, Osun State on Wednesday affirmed the validity of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 16th poll in the state. 

The court, however, dismissed the suit filed by Dotun Babayemi, who approached the court to invalidate the primary election that produced Adeleke as the PDP candidate declaring that Adeleke is the duly recognised candidate for the party forthcoming election. 

Delivering the judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, said it was an internal party issue and therefore the matter remained dismissed as the court could not pick candidates for any political party. 

He further held that Dotun Babayemi did not participate in the primary election and the court declared Adeleke as the authentic candidate. 

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When the PDP held its gubernatorial primary election on March 8, the Wale Ojo faction produced Dotun Babayemi at a parallel primary at the WOCDIF Centre, in Osogbo, while Honourable Sunday Bisi-led faction produced Senator Ademola Adeleke at the Osogbo Township Stadium. 

However, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised the PDP primary held at the Osogbo Stadium, under the supervision of deputy governor of Bayelsa, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, as the chairman that declared Adeleke as the flagbearer of the party While reacting to the judgement, Babayemi has asserted that the PDP must win the forthcoming governorship election in Osun if the people of the state must be rescued from the current harrowing experiences they are going through. 

Reacting to the judgement delivered, Babayemi in a statement issued by his media office said with the judgement, nobody lost. 

“Nobody has lost, and that is 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,” Babayemi maintained. 

On the next step to take, he said that would be decided after getting copies of the judgement which he added would be evaluated legally and politically before making the next move. 

Babayemi stated: “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. 

“We are not backing away. 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.”