An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun has on Monday affirmed the ward congress conducted by the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
According to the ruling, “It is only the National Executive Committee, either acting through itself or through the National Working Committee, in line with Article 29(2), 51(1), 2(b), (e) and 3 of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, 2017 that can validly conduct and supervise the holden of ward congress to elect ward executive committee/officers of the party, 3-man ad-hoc ward delegates.”
Also, the order of the court mandated the respondent to make use of the Osun PDP ward delegate list containing the names of ward executive committee who were elected at the ward congress held on September 25, 2021, and duly ratified at the National Convention in 2021 for the purpose of Osun PDP gubernatorial primary slated for March 8, 2022.
Newsflash Nigeria gathered that the court order has finally put a rest to confusion arising from argument to use the old delegates list which was challenged in the court by some aggrieved members of the party.
The PDP delegates will on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, elect the flagbearer of the party at the Osogbo City Stadium.
The aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket are Senator Ademola Adeleke, who has the backing of Sunday Bisi, and Dotun Babayemi who has the backing of the Wale Ojo led faction of the party in the state.
Fatai Akinbade, Dele Adeleke, Sanya Omirin and Akin Ogunbiyi, have all withdrawn from the race on Monday, saying that the leadership of the Wale Ojo faction demanded a consensus candidate to square up with Adeleke.
Akinbade, in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Monday, said he was withdrawing from the race in respect of the decision of the party elders who have named Dotun Babayemi as the preferred aspirant.
The statement read, “The former SSG has declared his support for Dotun Babayemi who has been chosen by the party elders.
“Accordingly, he appealed to party members across the state, especially his supporters, to rally round Babayemi so that the party could triumph at the coming polls.”
Also, Adeleke, in a statement, said his decision to quit the race was in line with the decision of the PDP leaders who have decided to harmonise forces, “within the school of thought that I subscribed to so that we can jointly prosecute the primary election and win. I respect this decision and believe in their capacity to lead us to victory.”
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But Ogunbiyi, while announcing his withdrawal in Osogbo, said he withdrew from the contest because of the alleged bias of the PDP national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
He said, “It is a very difficult decision for me because of the amount of investment and the hope that my personality and leadership would have given to Osun State.
“But when you have an umpire who is so biased to the extent of planning with the other group, what can you do?
“Senator Ayu has agreed to work with Ademola Adeleke and I am being told that I shouldn’t waste my money and we did everything possible. I can only come to the conclusion to withdraw from the race.”
Meanwhile, a statement issued on behalf of the PDP Elders’ Caucus, endorsed Babayemi.
The statement signed by a factional chairman of the party, Mr Wale Ojo, further read, “On behalf of Osun State party executives, BOT members, apex party leaders and the entire members of our party in the state, after a painstaking deliberation of the elders of the party and in preparation for the state congress to elect the gubernatorial candidate of our party slated to hold on March 8, 2022, it was unanimously agreed that Prince Dotun Babayemi should fly the flag of the party in the impending state congress.”
