Court Nullifies Ogun PDP Governorship Primary Election

James Sowole in Abeokuta

A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital,  yesterday, nullified the Governorship Primary conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo, in his judgement, ordered the party to conduct another primary election within the next 14 days.

The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

The party had on May 25 conducted the primary election, which produced Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party.

Not satisfied with the primary, three members of the party, Taiwo Olabode Idris, Kehinde Akala and Alhaji Ayinde Monsuri, dragged the party, Ladi Adebutu and INEC to court, challenging the authenticity of the delegates’ lists used for the conduct of the primary.

The plaintiffs contended that, the persons on delegates’ list used by electoral panel for the primaries were not democratically elected at the ward, local government and state congresses, hence, the panel “cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily impose” the list on the party for the primaries.

The plaintiffs, in their originating summons, prayed the court among others to nullify or set aside the state congress/indirect primary election, held by the 1st defendant (PDP) on 25th of May, 2022 “for the purpose of choosing the candidate, which the 1st Defendant intends to nominate/sponsor at the 2023 governorship election in Ogun State, based on the list of delegates, who were not democratically elected at the ward congress.”

They also sought an order directing the 2nd Defendant (INEC) “to disregard and/or refrain from giving effect to the results of the alleged 1st Defendant’s indirect primary election held on the 25th of May, 2022 based on the list of ad-hoc delegates who were not elected at the ward congresses constituted by the 1st Defendant for that purpose.”

Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the plaintiffs, Thaddeus Idenyi said, the court nullified the election “because it was conducted using a list of adhoc delegates, who were not elected. The implication of the judgement is obvious, the PDP will have to put their acts together and then conduct a fresh primary as ordered by the court.

“This time around, the court was specific that they have to use the list that had been certified by INEC, because after the primary, those lists were submitted to INEC as parts of its report of covering those ward congresses held, so the court has now said it is the list, which must be considered in the conduct of the fresh primaries, so the PDP had to just put their house together and use those lists to conduct a fresh primary.”

Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Akinloye Bankole, said, the party would study the judgement before any action is taken.