Court dismisses case against Ondo PDP

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed the
application of some aggrieved members of the Peoples
Democratic Party in Ondo State seeking the nullification of the
list of the party’s candidates in the forthcoming general
elections as published by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
Delivering judgment in the suit number FHC/ ABJ/CS/1006/14
instituted against the party by the group led by Dr Olu Ogunye
in alliance with Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim and Dr Olu Agunloye,
Hon. Justice Adeniyi Ademola held that it will not interfere
with the powers of the leadership of PDP to decide which
person to sponsor for the elections.
Against the submission of the group that the party’s
leadership in Ondo state flouted the court’s order in respect of
the same suit, the court said it did not find any of its orders
flouted, and consequently, the court refused to recognize the
list of the Ogunye group which it had prepared with the inten­
tion of replacing it with the INEC published list.
In court to witness proceedings were Dr Olu Agunloye who
had earlier led the aggrieved group on a protest on Thursday.
Jimoh Ibrahim who had been attending court sessions since
the suit was instituted was however absent in court on Friday,
even as the case has been adjourned till the 5th of March
2015.
Reacting to the judgement, the state’s publicity secretary of
the PDP, Hon. Banji Okunomo said there is no victor or loser
in the case adding that the goal of the party is to ensure that
every member comes together to ensure victory for it in the
coming elections.
He implored members of the party who had gone to court to
join hands with other members to work for the victory of
President Goodluck Jonathan and other candidates of the
party in the elections due to hold next week.