- Says Adeleke’s case dissimilar to Gov Matawalle’s
National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Debo Ologunagba, has dismissed anxiety over the fate of its victorious candidate in the recent Osun State governorship election.
It follows an update on a suit against Governor-Elect, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke by an aggrieved PDP gubernatorial aspirant.
He said: “the people of Osun have spoken and they gave spoken well. Nobody should deceive himself by seeking victory through the back doors.
“We are aware of the Zamfara example but ours is a different case. When you go to court, you state your case and prayers but leave the technicality of the case to the presiding judge.
“We are not disturbed at all and at the end of the day, we shall come out of court victorious.”
There is apprehension in Osun over the alleged possibility of Adeleke losing the mandate given him at last Saturdays governorship election.
This follows the reservation of judgement by an Appeal Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State in a case instituted by Prince Dotun Babayemi on the eligibility of Adeleke as the party’s torchbearer in the July 16, 2022 election.
He sued Adeleke and the party, alleging that he emerged from an illegal primary election.
Babayemi and his faction of the PDP held a parallel primary with the one that produced Adeleke.
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Although INEC officials monitored the exercise conducted by the Osun Governorship Primary Committee appointed by the national secretariat of the party, but Babayemi is at but at the Court of Appeal challenging the delegates list used in conducting the qualifier poll.
It is feared that this pre-election case of who is the authentic candidate of the PDP, if not amicably settled out of court, may spell doom for the party and Adeleke.
Earlier at the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel noted that the primary election that produced Adeleke was done at the right venue and conducted by the right people but with wrong delegates.
This, may invalidate Adeleke’s election and votes.
Also, it was noted by the court that though Babayemi was voted for by the right delegates but the primary election that produced him took place at the wrong venue and was conducted by the wrong people. So, his primary cannot stand.
With the situation on ground, the two claimants to the PDP ticket may lose out and incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his All Progressives Congress (APC) may reap the victory, having coming second at the polls.
The PDP, however, expressed hope that it will not lose the Osun victory.
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