A Federal High Court sitting in
Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from
barring the Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe-led southwest zonal executive committee
and the zone’s delegates from the December 9 national convention of the party.
We gathered that Olafeso is the
southwest zonal chairman of the party recognised by the national leadership of
the party.
Ogundipe, however, told
journalists in Abuja on Friday, October 20, that non-compliance with the court
order could affect the outcome of the December 9 national convention of the
party.
He urged the national caretaker
committee of the party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi to “uphold the rule of law
because he (Makarfi) is also a product of the law.”
Makanjuola brought the court
order to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Friday. The court
sitting had earlier taken place on Wednesday, October 19.
Named in the suit numbered
FHC/AD/CS/18/2017 are: Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, Chief Adepegba Otemolu, Lanre
Orimoloye, Supo Ijabadeniyi and Femi Carena.
The defendants are the
Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Sen. Ben
Obi, Eddy Olafeso, Wunmi Jenyo, Adeola Ogunrinde and Femi Adetola.
Others are Ojo Williams, Fasiu
Bakenne, Philip Aivohji, Mrs. Oluwawumi Oshinroluke, Biliaminu Ogundele, Femi,
Makinde, the Inspector General of Police and Assistant Inspector General of
Police, zone 2, Osogbo, Commissioner of Police, Ondo state, and the Department
of State Services and State Security Service, Ondo state.
Specifically, the court, which
was presided over by Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo, restrained the Makarfi-led
executives or their agents from “preventing the plaintiffs and other southwest
delegates to the PDP national convention listed in the schedule attached to
this originating summons.”
The court listed the
beneficiaries of the order as Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju and Senator Buruji
Kashamu, adding that they should not be barred from attending the national
convection.
The judge also said that no
disciplinary action should be taken against the plaintiffs “and other delegates
of the party from the South-West Zone in order to prevent them from
participating in the party’s national convention pending the hearing and
determination of the motion on notice.”
Justice Taiwo said: “An order of
interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 5th to 15th defendants by
themselves, their servants, agents and or privies from participating in the PDP
national convention scheduled to hold on the 9th of December, 2017 or any other
date during the subsistence of tenure of office of the southwest zonal
executive committee led by the 1st Plaintiff as members of the southwest
delegates of the party pending the hearing and determination of the motion on
notice.”
Ogundipe said the Senator
Makarfi-led NCC and the national leadership of the party had a duty to prevent
impunity and lawlessness if they were desirous of building a new PDP that would
appeal to Nigerians and win elections in 2019.
He said: “I say this because Eddy
Olafeso and his group never emerged from a valid South-West Zonal congress. The
Federal High Court, Lagos, in a ruling delivered in Suit No.: FHC/L/CS/605/2016
on the 17th of May, 2016, the court expressly nullified the sham congress. Till
date, the order has neither been set aside nor upturned on appeal.
“It should be further noted that
in a final judgment delivered on the 24th of June, 2016, the court
categorically stated that our tenure ends in October, 2018, having been elected
at a special zonal congress held on the 11th of October, 2014 in Ibadan, the
Oyo State capital.
"The implication of this is
that my executive committee remains the only validly elected and judicially
sanctioned leadership of the party in the southwest.”
Ogundipe said if the party
leadership acted in defiance of indubitable facts and the Rule of Law, “it will
contaminate the national convention”, adding that, “our leaders should do
justice and avoid anything that can jeopardise our party’s chances in 2019.
He urged members and leaders of
the party in the southwest to continue to work for the party and mobilise
people for membership.
In reaction, Olafeso told Punch
that the party was already working hard to discharge the injunction, adding
that the national leadership of the party wished to reposition the PDP.
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