By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
The controversy over who the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 16 governorship poll is, was on Wednesday laid to rest as Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe refused to renew an order granted to Dotun Babayemi restraining the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising Senator Ademola Adeleke.
A press statement issued by the Director, Media and Strategy, Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mallam Olawale Rasheed on Wednesday, said that Babayemi had declined participation in party primary organised by the National Working Committee (NWC) but had since been riding on an ex-parte order granted by the judge presiding over Ijebu-Jesa division of the Osun State High Court.
Even after the NWC officially presented the certificate of returns to Senator Adeleke, he said Babayemi refused to recognise the party leadership.
On Wednesday, the High Court of Osun State sitting in Ijebujesa adjourned indefinitely the suit filed before it by one ADEMOLA ADEDOKUN & 31 ORS against the primary election conducted by the PDP which produced Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governorship candidate of the Party.
Granting an application by Hashim Abioye Esq., who appeared for the applicants dissociating themselves from the suit, the court observed that Abioye had filed and entered appeal for the applicants at the Court of Appeal, Akure marked CA/AK/38/2022 and as a result he adjourned the matter sine die.
With the development, the ex-parte order made by Justice Aderibigbe has automatically lapsed by the provision of the High Court Rules of Osun State.
According to the release: “Therefore Senator Ademola Adeleke remains the official candidate of the PDP for July 16th, 2022 Governorship election in Osun State.”
In an earlier judgement on Osun PDP crisis, an Appeal Court sitting in Akure had noted that the lifetime of an exparte order was seven days, and could only be renewed for another seven days.
An excerpt of the judgement reads: “The clear implication of the above cited rules of the court is that an order made exparte shall AUTOMATICALLY abate after seven days. See Fagbola vs Titilayo (supra), and where the court is inclined to grant an extension, for reasons advanced, such an extension shall not be for a period exceeding 7 days from the day it is granted.”
The Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation therefore extended its earlier olive branch to fellow contenders for the governorship ticket of the party.
“This is the time to jaw jaw and unite for victory in July. We urge all aggrieved party members to sheath their swords and join hands with Senator Adeleke to win the forthcoming elections,” it said.
The organisation also called on party members to revive the bond of brotherhood to “face our common enemy, the All Progressives Congress(APC).:
In the words of Senator Adeleke, ” We are not enemies; we are brothers. My ambition is the collective interest of all PDP members and the good people of Osun state. We must as a family come together and regain the stolen mandate of 2018.”
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