The emergency rocking the Ogun state chapter of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been finally resolved as a Federal
High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital on Tuesday, October 2,
ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Uche
Secondus-led national leadership of the party to accept and process the list of
candidates and delegates submitted to them by the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun
state executive committee of the PDP for the purpose of the 2019 general election
Presiding on a motion for interlocutory
injunction after listening to arguments canvassed by the counsel to the Ogun
state PDP executive, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), who noted that the court had on the
28th of September, 2018 ordered that the defendants should be put on notice and
adjourned till 2nd October, 2018, for definite hearing of the motion for
interlocutory injunction. Tarfa said he was ready to move the motion because
all the parties had been served and the court was bound by its records. The
Honourable Justice M. Abubakar Shittu went through the court’s file and noted
that the court was satisfied from the proof of service and affidavit in support
that all the defendants had been duly served but for reasons best known to them
failed to file any document in opposition to the plaintiffs’ claims. They also
did not send in any legal representation despite standing down the case for
hours. After standing down the matter for hours, the court resumed sitting and
in a brief ruling delivered afterwards, it held that the reliefs sought by the
plaintiffs, having not been controverted, are granted as prayed. The reliefs
are: “An interim order directing the 1st Defendant (INEC) to accept or process
only the list of candidates of the PDP for the 2019 general election in Ogun state
authenticated by the plaintiffs as having emerged from primaries conducted by
them for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, senatorial and
governorship elections and submitted by the plaintiffs or their authorised
nominees pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. “An
order of interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant (INEC) by itself,
servants, officials, agents or privies from accepting, processing or publishing
the name/s of any person/s purporting to be a nominated candidate/s of the PDP
from Ogun state for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, senatorial
or governorship election except those who emerge from primary elections
constituted by delegates authenticated by the Plaintiffs, convened and conducted
by the plaintiffs for the election/nomination of 2nd Defendant’s candidates in
Ogun state pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. “An
order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd – 4th Defendants (PDP, Secondus
and National Secretary Ibrahim Tsauri) from convening, conducting or organizing
a National Convention of the PDP for the nomination of the presidential
candidate of the party without the authentic delegates from Ogun State listed
in Schedule A attached to this originating summons (as authenticated and
accredited by the Plaintiffs) in attendance and votingpending the hearing and
determination of the motion on notice. “An order of interim injunction
restraining the 1st Defendant (INEC) by itself, its members, employees,
servants, agents or privies from accepting, processing and or publishing (for
the purpose of the 2019 general elections) the name of any person purporting to
be the nominated presidential candidate of the PDP (notwithstanding that such a
name is submitted by the National Executive Committee of the PDP or persons
claiming to act for it) when such a person claiming to be the Presidential
candidate of the PDP is a product of any National Convention convened,
organized and/or conducted by the 2nd to 4th Defendants (PDP, Secondus and
National Secretary Ibrahim Tsauri) or persons claiming to act for them, without
the authentic delegates from Ogun State including the Applicants herein and
others listed in Schedule A attached to the originating summons (as authenticated
and accredited by the Plaintiffs) in attendance and voting pending the hearing
and determination of the motion on notice. “An order of interim injunction
restraining the 1st Defendant (INEC) by itself, its members, employees,
servants, agents or privies from accepting, processing and or publishing (for
the purpose of the 2019 general elections) the name/s of any person/s
purporting to be (a) nominated candidate/s of the PDP from Ogun State or
presidential candidate of the PDP (notwithstanding that such nomination is
submitted by the National Executive Committee of the PDP or persons claiming to
act for it) when such person/s claiming to be candidates of the PDP for the
general elections is/are (a) product/s of any unity list or consensus
arrangement which bypasses the prescribed electoral process of the PDP,
particularly the electoral colleges constituted by delegates including the Ogun
state delegates listed in Schedule A attached to this originating summons(as
authenticated and accredited by the Plaintiffs) in attendance and voting
pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.” The court
adjourned hearing in the substantive suit till the 7th of November, 2018.
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