The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday said there were more than 120 cases hanging on the neck of the party from aggrieved members who were dissatisfied over its recent primaries.
The party’s National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, who revealed this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, added that if care was not taken, some of the cases might drag on for a long time.
Arising from this development, he added that there were fears among PDP leaders that the party might not be able to present candidates in some states.
Oke, who sounded worried, said the party considered the numerous legal actions against it as a distraction, noting that the issues were not allowing the party’s National Working Committee members to concentrate on other unfolding developments.
For instance, he noted that due to the numerous legal representations he had to make in courts, he was unable to be part of the party’s ongoing presidential electioneering.
He said, “In all, we have more than 120 cases to handle. All these arose from the primaries that we just finished. The numbers of the cases rise on a daily basis.
“This is a distraction considering the level of work to be done by the leadership of the party before the elections.
“In fact, I have to remain behind in Abuja to attend to these cases, while other members of the NWC are with the presidential candidate of the party, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for the ongoing presidential campaign.”
Oke particularly singled out the cases in Oyo and Ogun states as worrisome, saying the situation might result in prolonged litigation in the two states.
To resolve some of the cases, Oke said the party was thinking of finding political solution where its leadership would have meetings with those who felt aggrieved following the outcome of the primaries.
He said, “We may have to use political solution to these myriad of cases because at the end of the cases, we still believe that there would be those who would still feel aggrieved. Therefore, the best way we feel we can handle this matter is to speak to our people.
“As it is now the courts are even overwhelmed with the number of cases before them. We have this fear that they may not be able to finish with the cases before the elections. So, we are talking to all the parties concerned to allow us handle the matter politically.”
The governors, Oke added, had been asked to talk to aggrieved members in their states, especially those that failed to make the lists for either the National Assembly or the state houses of assembly.
He said that many of the governors had begun the process of reconciliation, citing Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, as of one of the governors that had begun to reconcile aggrieved party members.
Meanwhile, the party is still faced with numerous cases across the country. For example, in Yobe State, the party’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Usman Albishir’s victory at the primary is being challenged by a former Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Waziri.
Wazari is challenging Albishir’s academic qualification.
In Enugu State, a PDP governorship aspirant, Mr. Anayo Onwegbu and 38 others are in court to restrain INEC from accepting or validating Mr. Sullivan Chime’s name as the party’s standard-bearer for the forthcoming poll.
In Ogun State, the party is entangled in a legal battle between two factions.
While a faction loyal to the Governor Gbenga Daniel produced Mr. Gboyega Isiaka as the party’s governorship candidate, the other group loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and current Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins Kuye produced Gen. Adetunji Olurin (retd)as its candidate.
In Oyo State, three of the governorship aspirants, Wole Oyelese, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo and Hazeem Gbolarumi, are challenging the candidature of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.
The Punch
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