2019: Court orders PDP, INEC to accept Kashamu group delegates’ list

A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State
capital, on Tuesday, ordered the Independent National Electoral
Commission and the Uche Secondus-led National leadership of the
Peoples Democratic Party to accept and process the list of
candidates and delegates submitted to them by the Adebayo Dayo-led
Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP for the purpose of the
2019 general election.

This followed parallel governorship primaries held on Sunday by
the Dayo-led faction and that of Sikirullahi Ogundele-faction
backed by the national leadership of the party.

The two factions of the PDP produced Shittu Adeleke and Ladi
Adebutu as governorship candidates respectively.

However, the Dayo-led group which is backed by the Senator
representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, in a suit filed before the
court, sought an interlocutory order directing the INEC to accept
or process delegates and candidates produced by the group as the
authentic for the next general elections.

The suit marked FHC/AB/CS/114/2018 between Dayo-led executive
and INEC, equally joined the PDP, its National Chairman, Uche
Secondus, and the National Secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri.

Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, after an argument canvassed by
Rickey Tarfa SAN on behalf of the plaintiffs, Justice Abubakar
Shittu granted an order restraining INEC from accepting or
processing presidential nominee except done in compliance with
court order.

Shittu granted four of six prayers of the plaintiffs.

The reliefs granted by the court are: “An interlocutory order is
given 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 originating summons.