THE crisis rocking the Ogun and Oyo states’ chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a worrisome dimension yesterday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed Governor Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, Gen. Adetunji Olurin as party’s governorship candidates for the April polls. The commission also accepted Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello as the PDP candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District.
But Alao-Akala’s governorship bid received a judicial knock, when a Federal High Court, Ibadan put a lid on the results of the congress of the Oyo State chapter of the party, pending the determination of a motion on notice filed before the court.
And barring any last minute change, INEC will tomorrow publish the full list of candidates submitted to it by political parties. INEC National Commissioner (Legal Matters), Mr. Philip Umeadi Jnr., who confirmed the development, said the compilation of the full list was expected to end yesterday, after which it would be forwarded to the commission today and it would be published in the newspapers on Thursday.
Citing a recent court order for recognising the candidatures of Olurin and Obasanjo-Bello, INEC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Iyorwuse Umenger, said the Commission would continue to obey relevant court orders, because it was a law-abiding body.
Two factions of the PDP led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Gbenga Daniel have been engaged in a supremacy battle over who controls the soul of the party in the state. Olurin enjoys Obasanjo’s backing, whose group went to court last week to seek an injunction stopping INEC from recognising the candidates submitted to it by Daniel’s faction.
Umenger said: “Take for example in Ogun State, there is a court order that recognised a faction other than Gbenga Daniel’s, and we have recognised that faction based on the court order.
“In Anambra State, there is another court order that has been communicated to the Commission, that of one Benjamin Odeazor, the court has ordered us to recognise his faction and we have done just that.”
In the case of Enugu High Court, which ordered that Governor Sullivan Chime’s name should not be submitted to INEC, Umenger said, the commission was yet to receive official communication on that, but added, “as soon as we receive the order, we will have to obey.”
The INEC spokesman also confirmed that the names of Alao-Akala, contrary to reports in some national dailies was on its list. The same goes for Olurin and Obasanjo-Bello, which were alleged to have lost their bids to contest the forthcoming elections.
He would, however, not comment on the level of compliance of the parties with the deadlines for the January 31 deadline, but The Guardian learnt that at least 43 political parties have submitted their forms to beat the deadline, while 20 parties failed to meet it.
Confusion over who is the authentic PDP governorship candidate in Ogun Stare continued yesterday as Olurin was confirmed by INEC as the party’s standard bearer.
But the Media Assistant to Gboyega Isiaka, who enjoys Daniel’s support for the office, Mr. Bolaji Adeniji told The Guardian that Olurin’s assertion that he had been cleared by INEC was not true. “How can the same INEC that has approved the candidature of Mr. Isiaka as the authentic candidate turn round again to declare him (Olurin) as the authentic candidature?” he queried.
The PDP National leadership was yesterday reported to have submitted Isiaka’s name to INEC despite a court order restraining them from doing so.
But Alao-Akala’s governorship bid received a judicial knock, when a Federal High Court, Ibadan put a lid on the results of the congress of the Oyo State chapter of the party, pending the determination of a motion on notice filed before the court.
And barring any last minute change, INEC will tomorrow publish the full list of candidates submitted to it by political parties. INEC National Commissioner (Legal Matters), Mr. Philip Umeadi Jnr., who confirmed the development, said the compilation of the full list was expected to end yesterday, after which it would be forwarded to the commission today and it would be published in the newspapers on Thursday.
Citing a recent court order for recognising the candidatures of Olurin and Obasanjo-Bello, INEC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Iyorwuse Umenger, said the Commission would continue to obey relevant court orders, because it was a law-abiding body.
Two factions of the PDP led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Gbenga Daniel have been engaged in a supremacy battle over who controls the soul of the party in the state. Olurin enjoys Obasanjo’s backing, whose group went to court last week to seek an injunction stopping INEC from recognising the candidates submitted to it by Daniel’s faction.
Umenger said: “Take for example in Ogun State, there is a court order that recognised a faction other than Gbenga Daniel’s, and we have recognised that faction based on the court order.
“In Anambra State, there is another court order that has been communicated to the Commission, that of one Benjamin Odeazor, the court has ordered us to recognise his faction and we have done just that.”
In the case of Enugu High Court, which ordered that Governor Sullivan Chime’s name should not be submitted to INEC, Umenger said, the commission was yet to receive official communication on that, but added, “as soon as we receive the order, we will have to obey.”
The INEC spokesman also confirmed that the names of Alao-Akala, contrary to reports in some national dailies was on its list. The same goes for Olurin and Obasanjo-Bello, which were alleged to have lost their bids to contest the forthcoming elections.
He would, however, not comment on the level of compliance of the parties with the deadlines for the January 31 deadline, but The Guardian learnt that at least 43 political parties have submitted their forms to beat the deadline, while 20 parties failed to meet it.
Confusion over who is the authentic PDP governorship candidate in Ogun Stare continued yesterday as Olurin was confirmed by INEC as the party’s standard bearer.
But the Media Assistant to Gboyega Isiaka, who enjoys Daniel’s support for the office, Mr. Bolaji Adeniji told The Guardian that Olurin’s assertion that he had been cleared by INEC was not true. “How can the same INEC that has approved the candidature of Mr. Isiaka as the authentic candidate turn round again to declare him (Olurin) as the authentic candidature?” he queried.
The PDP National leadership was yesterday reported to have submitted Isiaka’s name to INEC despite a court order restraining them from doing so.
Reminded that some national dailies had reported that INEC had also declared Isiaka as the authentic candidate, Olurin said: “You have to believe what INEC says and not them (Isiaka’s camp).
He said: “I have waited patiently and eventually INEC has done that for me.” He told reporters that if they were in doubt, they should tarry a while because INEC would soon release the names of the candidates of all political parties, which his name would be included.
In his rulings, Justice Johnson Shakarho restrained the party and Alao-Akala from presenting any candidate of the PDP to INEC based on the results of the congress. The judge struck out the relief sought by the plaintiffs, restrained INEC from receiving, accepting or in any way acting upon any nomination of any person or persons for any election based on the congress.
The judge however adjourned hearing in the case till February 10 on the substantive matter.
Three governorship aspirants of the party – Hazeem Gbalorumi, Wole Oyelese, and Yekeen Adeojo – and 34 others, had gone to court seeking ex parte motion on the congresses.
Joined in the suit were INEC, PDP, Oyo State chapter of the party, Chief Dejo Afolabi, and Alao-Akala.
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