Osun 2022: Uncertainty Reigns As Court Restrains PDP, INEC

AN Osun State High Court in Ijebu-Jesa, presided over by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, on Thursday, granted an order restraining the recognition of any other governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state aside from the one that saw the emergence of Prince Dotun Babayemi as the party’s candidate for the July 16 governorship election in the state. 

This came barely 24 hours after the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP presented the certificate of return to Senator Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the party’s governorship primary in the state.

A parallel primary was held by the plaintiffs in the case, in compliance with Justice Aderibigbe’s orders, where Mr Dotun Babayemi was elected.

The defendants/respondents are the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while 30 ward chairmen of the party were the plaintiffs/applicants in the case with suit number HIJ/6/2022.

Justice Aderibigbe, while granting the order of mandatory interim injunction, averred that the primary where delegates voted for Babayemi was in compliance with the court’s judgment of November 22, 2021 and an order of mandatory interim injunction of March 3, 2022, affirming that the 215 ward executive officers elected then as the authentic and authorised delegates.

The judge also gave “an order of mandatory interim injunction restraining the defendants/respondents (PDP and INEC) from recognising any other governorship primaries of the PDP Osun State conducted on 8th March, 2022” apart from the governorship primaries conducted on the 8th of March, 2022 in full compliance with earlier judgments of the court.

He also gave “an order of mandatory interim injunction setting aside and/or nullifying all actions taken in flagrant disobedience of the judgment of the court “affirming the plaintiffs/applicants as the authentic and/or authorised elected ward executive officers permitted to vote as delegates at the party’s governorship primaries.”

The judge adjourned the case till Wednesday,16 March, 2022.