Court affirms Adeleke’s candidature, Babayemi to review judgment

A Federal High Court in Osogbo, on Wednesday, dismissed a suit filed by Dotun Babayemi seeking to be declared the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.

The court affirmed Senator Ademola Adeleke as the validly elected PDP candidate for the forthcoming poll.

Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, while delivering his judgment, held that the primary election conducted at the WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, on March 8, 2022 which produced Babayemi, was null and void.

The judge said the primary that produced Babayemi did not follow provisions of Sections 82 (1) and (5) and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as the Independent National Electoral Commission was not given 21 days notice before the exercise.

The judge added that the primary was not observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, as stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2022.

The court ruled that primary election conducted by the State Working Committee of a political party is not recognised by the Electoral Act, 2022, adding that all conditions for a valid primary election were met by the exercise supervised by the PDP national leadership that produced Adeleke as the governorship candidate.

Reacting to the judgment, Babayemi, who was present in court, during an interview with journalists, said he would sit with his team to politically and legally review the decision of the court before deciding on the next line of action.