The Peoples Democratic Party has hailed the Wednesday judgment by the Appeal Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital, that upheld Senator Ademola Adeleke as the rightful candidate for the last Saturday’s Osun governorship election.
In a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP noted that the court judgment had put to rest all contestations regarding the validity of Adeleke’s candidacy.
A PDP chieftain, Dotun Babayemi, contested the party’s governorship primary at the High Court, challenging the validity of the primary conducted by the national leadership of the party, but lost in the court.
Not satisfied with the judgment of the High Court, he proceeded to the appellate court to challenge the judgment but the appellate court on Wednesday also struck out his appeal.
Hailing the judgment in a statement, the party said, “The PDP receives with delight, the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the PDP governorship primary that produced the Osun State Governor-Elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, as the rightful candidate of the PDP for the July 16, 2022, Osun governorship poll.
“The Appeal Court judgment, which puts to rest all contestations regarding the validity of the candidacy of Adeleke, comes as further validation of the will and aspiration of the people of Osun State, which they overwhelmingly expressed on July 16.
“The judgment is a firm confirmation that the governorship primary was transparently conducted by the Senator Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee, in strict compliance with the provisions of the PDP constitution and electoral guidelines as provided by the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“Our party commends the judiciary for its courage adding that the judgment has further restored the confidence of Nigerians in our judicial system and the processes of the PDP.
“The PDP again congratulates the people of Osun State and charges all party stakeholders in the state to remain united behind Sen. Ademola Adeleke in his determination to institute a transparent, people-oriented, and development-based government that will rebuild and revamp the state from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress.”
Adeleke won the governorship election with a total of 403,371 votes, beating the incumbent, Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, who got 375,027 votes in a keenly contested race.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, had on Wednesday upheld the judgement of the lower court which affirmed Osun State Governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for last Saturday’s governorship election.
Dotun Babayemi, a PDP chieftain, had contested the party’s governorship primaries at the High Court
challenging the validity of the primary conducted by the national leadership of the party but lost in the court
Not satisfied with the judgment of the high court, he proceeded to the appellate court to challenge the judgment but the appellate court on Wednesday also struck out the his appeal.
Babayemi had taken Adeleke before a federal high court in Osogbo, seeking to be declared as the PDP candidate for the July 16 governorship election in Osun state.
Babayemi and Adeleke’s factions of the party had on March 8, 2021, conducted separate governorship primaries.
Babayemi was declared the winner of the primary election held at the Children and Women Development Centre in Osogbo.
On the other hand, the governor-elect emerged as the party’s candidate at the primary election held at Osogbo City Stadium.
The Punch
