The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has called upon Justice Sunday Adeniyi of the State High Court in Abeokuta to render a fair and equitable decision regarding a lawsuit that seeks to disqualify the party’s candidates from the upcoming council elections.
According to reports, the party’s factional chairman, Sikirulai Ogundele, along with 13 local government chairmen, has initiated legal action at the Ogun State High Court. They are contesting the legitimacy of certain candidates whose names, they claim, do not appear on the official register validated by the national party leadership.
In the legal case numbered AB/484/2024, filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kazeem Gbadamosi, the plaintiffs are requesting the court to clarify whether individuals not listed on the National Working Committee (NWC) approved membership register for the Ward Congress can represent or be nominated as candidates of the PDP in the forthcoming local government elections.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Abayomi Tella, the party chairman supported by the national leadership, alleged that the lawsuit is a calculated effort by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to undermine the PDP’s participation in the elections scheduled for Saturday.
Tella accused the government of orchestrating the lawsuit to eliminate their candidates from the electoral process. He expressed concerns over the judge’s affiliation with the ruling party and urged him to either deliver a just ruling or recuse himself from the case, set for hearing on Thursday.
“It is crucial that we address and inform the public about the numerous deliberate and desperate attempts by the State Government and the ruling party to silence and obstruct opposition parties, particularly our party, PDP, from participating in the Local Government elections on November 16,” Tella stated.
He highlighted that prior to this lawsuit, there had been multiple attempts to disrupt the PDP’s activities, including interference during their party congress and the submission of parallel candidates’ lists to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), both of which were unsuccessful.
Tella emphasized that the PDP believes in the rule of law and respects the judiciary, yet he expressed concerns regarding the judge’s history as a member of the APC, including his previous roles as the Caretaker Chairman of Ikenne Local Government and campaign director for the governor’s Senate bid in 2015.
“We present the judge’s political background not out of suspicion of his integrity but as a plea that if he cannot recuse himself, he should ensure that justice is served in accordance with the law,” he added.
Furthermore, Tella urged the State Electoral Commission to conduct the elections fairly, ensuring timely and equitable distribution of materials to all polling units across the 20 local government areas.
