BREAKING: PDP Has No Governorship Candidate in Ogun? Supreme Court Gives Verdict
- The crisis rocking the Ogun state chapter of the PDP depended on Monday, November 21, with a Supreme Court ruling
- The apex court dismissed an appeal filed before it on the nomination of the party's governorship candidate for the 2023 general election
- Consequently, the court ordered that the suit instituted by a governorship aspirant, Jimi Lawal, be remitted to the Federal High Court for a fresh trial
FCT, Abuja - The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed before it on the nomination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s governorship candidate for the 2023 general election.
In a ruling on Monday, November 21, the apex court ordered that the suit instituted by a governorship aspirant, Jimi Lawal, be remitted to the Federal High Court for a fresh trial, The Punch reported.
Source: Twitter
Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, in a judgment in the appeal of the PDP, held that the Federal High Court was wrong in declining jurisdiction in the matter of Jimi Lawal.
The Apex Court agreed with the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the FHC had jurisdiction under Section 285 of the 1999 constitution and Section 84 (14) of the Electoral Act 2022 to hear the matter of Lawal on its merit.
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The Supreme Court, therefore, ordered the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, in Abuja for determination by another judge other than Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who refused to entertain the suit.
Justice Saulawa, in a unanimous judgment of a five-man panel of the apex court, ordered that the FHC must speedily hear the case of Lawal against Oladipupo Adebutu and the PDP within the time allowed by law.
The PDP's legal battle in Ogun state
Jimi Lawal, who contested the May 25 governorship primary election of the PDP, had challenged the emergence of Adebutu.
He alleged that the party used the unlawful delegates list to conduct the election.
Among others, Lawal had prayed that the purported primary election of May 25 be cancelled, and another be conducted with the authentic ad hoc delegates.
However, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the FHC, in his judgment delivered on July 29, declined to hear the suit of Jimi Lawal on merit on the grounds that the primary election was a domestic affair of any political party and dismissed the suit.
But not satisfied, Lawal approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja with a prayer that the decision of the FHC be voided and set aside on the ground of m*iscarriage of justice.
A three-man panel of justices of the appeal court, in their judgment delivered on September 30, agreed with Jimi Lawal, set aside the judgment of the FHC and ordered the suit be heard on its merit.
The PDP, not satisfied with the decision of the appeal court, approached the Supreme Court, praying that the judgment of the FHC be upheld to the effect that the conduct of the primary election was its domestic affair.
But Justice Saulawa disagreed with the PDP holding that by virtue of Section 285 of the 1999 constitution and Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022, the Federal High Court had the power to hear the case of Jimi Lawal.
The apex court ordered the Chief Judge of the FHC to reassign the case to another judge for retrial on its merit.
2023 elections: “I have no deal with PDP”, Senator Amosun declares
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the former governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, denied the report that he had entered into a political deal with the PDP in the state and its factional governorship candidate, Adebutu.
Amosun made this assertion on Sunday, September 25, in a statement issued by his media aide, Bola Adeyemi.
He was reacting to media reports on the leaked documents where Adebutu and Amosun’s former loyalist, Adekunle Akinlade, signed a pact on the sharing formula of positions after their victory at the 2023 polls.
Source: Legit.ng
