Osun PDP crisis: Court affirms Babayemi as party guber candidate, Adeleke receives certificate of return
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The crisis in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun State Chapter, took a new dimension as an Osun High Court sitting in Ijebu-Jesa affirmed Prince Dotun Babayemi as the authentic gubernatorial candidate following the parallel governorship primary election of the party.
Recall that PDP held parallel primaries on Tuesday leading to the emergence of Dotun Babayemi and Senator Ademola Adeleke.
A suit No: HIJ/6/2022, was instituted by Adedokun Ademola and 29 others against the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Presided over by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, the Court in an Order of Mandatory Interim Injunction, averred that delegates that voted for Babayemi did so in compliance with the Court judgement of 22nd November 2021 and Order of Mandatory Interim Injunction of 3rd March 2022, affirming the 215 Wards Executive Officers elected then as the authentic and authorized Ward Executive Officers permitted to vote as delegates at the party governorship primaries.
The Court granted an Order of Mandatory Interim Injunction restraining the defendants/respondents from recognising any other governorship primaries of the PDP in Osun State aside from the one that saw to the emergence of Babayemi.
The Court through an Order of Mandatory Interim Injunction has nullified all actions taken in flagrant disobedience to the judgement of 22nd November 2021, which recognized the Ward Executive Officers who produced delegates for the primaries.
Further hearing has been fixed for Wednesday, 16th March 2022.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party presented Certificate of Return to Senator Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the 2022 Osun governorship election primaries.
The presentation took place at the NEC Hall of the party’s national secretariat, Wadata plaza, Abuja.
The National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorcha Ayu and the Deputy National Chairman, Ambassador Taofik Arapaja made the presentation on on Thursday.
In company of Adeleke were Osun State PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi; Gani Olaoluwa, Diran Odeyemi, Lere Oyewumi among others.
When contacted, the media director of the party, Comrade Oladele Bamiji said, that Senator Ademola Adeleke “is the only party candidate,” stressing that the party will not allow court injunction to distract them from expectations of the people ahead of the governorship election.
Bamiji further said that some politicians approach the Court to achieve their individual interest, saying the judgement that affirms Prince Dotun Babayemi can only last seven days.
“In the world of politics there is catalogue of ruling here and there just to pursue individual interests. All what you are hearing is not Court judgement, it’s Expertise Injunction and that does not confer judicial finality on those processes.”
Bamiji noted that the leadership of the party is working hard to make sure the Osun PDP put its house in order ahead of elections in the state.
However, Funmiso Babarinde one of the chieftains of the party loyal to Prince Dotun Babayemi said that the party will be victorious in the guber election if the crisis in the party is properly managed at the grassroots.
Babarinde said that Osun residents will vote for the party on the ballot paper, not the candidate, adding that the court will decide on the candidate between the both.
