Court cancels Ogun PDP primaries

A Federal High Court in Abeokuta has nullified the People's Democratic Party (PDP) primary election in Ogun State that produced Ladi Adebutu as the party's gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 general election.

The court ordered that the party hold a general primary with the duly elected delegates.

While presiding over the case on Tuesday, Judge O.O Oguntoyinbo, in his ruling, ordered the party to hold another primary within the next 14 days.

The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing Mr. Adebutu as the party's gubernatorial candidate in the state.

The party held parallel party primaries on May 25 that produced candidates for all elective positions.

Party gubernatorial aspirant Segun Sowunmi is currently in court demanding that party leaders be sacked over alleged bias.

But in this lawsuit, three party members, Taiwo Olabode-Idris, Kehinde Akala and Ayinde Monsuri sued the party, Mr. Adebutu, and INEC over the authenticity of the lists of delegates used to conduct the primaries. < /p>

The plaintiffs argued that primary delegates were not democratically elected to ward, local government, and state conventions.

The candidates further said the panel “cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily impose” the slate on the party for the primaries.

The plaintiffs, in their original subpoena, had asked the court, among other things, to nullify or nullify the state congress/indirect primary election, held by the PDP on May 25, 2022.

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"for the purpose of selecting the candidate that the 1st Respondent intends to nominate/sponsor in the 2023 Governor's Election in Ogun State based on the list of delegates who do not were not democratically elected at the neighborhood convention."

Plaintiffs' attorney, Thaddeus Idenyi, says the court quashed the election 'because it was conducted using a list of ad hoc delegates who were not elected' .

He further stated, "The implication of the judgment is obvious, the PDP will have to collect their hats and then hold a new primary as ordered by the court.

"This time, the court clarified that it had to use the list that was certified by the INEC because after the primary, these lists were submitted to the INEC as part of its report on the coverage of block conventions held so the court has now said this is the list that should be considered when conducting primary news so the PDP should just gather their house and use these lists to organize a new primary."

Reacting to the judgment, the PDP publicity secretary in the state, Akinloye Bankole, said the party would study the judgment before any action is taken by the party.

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