Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, on Tuesday dismissed the suit filed by Senator Ayoade Adeseun challenging the conduct of the primary election that heralded the emergence of Engr. Seyi Makinde and other Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidates in Oyo State.
Senator Adeseun, who was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP stormed out of the party primary venue on September 30, 2018. He sued PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC over alleged infraction on the delegate lists for the conduct of the primaries.
The defence team, led by Barr. Adeniyi Farinto had appealed to the judge to dismiss the case based on the failure of the claimant to exhaust all remedies and machinery provided by the party constitution before engaging in legal suit.
In the judgment delivered on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu dismissed the claims of Senator Ayoade Adeseun, emphasizing that the claimant failed to prove beyond doubt that lists of delegates for the conduct of the primaries were doctored, “the claim of the claimant is hereby dismissed in its entirety.”
In his reaction to the judgment on behalf of the defence counsel, Barrister Lateef Adedigba, expressed his happiness on the judgment, adding that the judgment has clarified that primaries conducted by the PDP for all political positions in the state are in line with electoral guidelines and normal procedures.
“The claimant claimed that primaries should be set aside, meaning that PDP will not have candidates, governorship, senators, House of Representatives and House of Assembly in the just concluded elections, and we thought otherwise and the judge agreed with us. The judge said that, what was done, that is primaries, was perfect and in line with the PDP constitution and guidelines and the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended, and the claim of the claimant was dismissed.”
Meanwhile, the state Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Wasiu Adeleke in his reaction on behalf of the party, described the judgment as the victory for democracy, saying that the judgment will give PDP and all its elected candidates a sense of relief.
He said that the judgment will also give opportunity to the party and the governor-elect, Seyi Makinde to focus more attention on how to deliver on his electioneering campaign promises to the people of the state.
Mr. Adeleke assured Oyo State indigenes and residents to expect good governance from the administration of Peoples Democratic Party under Engr. Seyi Makinde.
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