Court declares Adeleke as authentic PDP candidate in Osun

The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo has affirmed Senator Ademola Adeleke as the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 16  governorship election in Osun State.

Justice Nathaniel Emmanuel made the declaration on Wednesday while delivering a ruling in a suit filed by a factional candidate of the PDP, Prince Dotun Babayemi.

Adeleke had been declared the winner of the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State, held at the Osogbo City Stadium.

Similarly, Prince Dotun Babayemi also emerged as the winner of a parallel exercise, held at the WOCDIF Centre, also in the state capital on March 9.

Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewurujakpo, who presided over the party’s National Congress Committee, announced Adeleke winner with 1,887 votes.

Senator Ewurujakpo was quick to denounce any other poll held outside the state capital stadium saying, “Any other primary held outside this place is invalid and will not be recognised. The crown is here, the palace is here and the authority is here. Any exercise not done here cannot be recognized.

Babayemi went to court to be recognised as the authentic candidate of the Party following the parallel primaries.

He urged his supporters put aside any fear over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s recognition of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the party’s flagbearer.

“There’s nothing final about the list and I’m sure that somebody somewhere knows that. It’s only the uninformed that can think it’s the end of the process because it’s on INEC’s timetable; the list published is just the submission by various parties,” Babayemi said in a statement titled INEC list in defiance of the electoral body’s recognition of his rival.