● Court Validates Delegates list authorised by PDP national Secretariat
● Other Aspirants Dropped out of Race
● Ademola Adeleke Projected to Win by over 2/3 of votes
Senator Ademola Adeleke on Monday confirmed his dominance of the race for governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) as series of events saw three aspirants dropping out of the race and a court of law affirming the delegates list authorised by the national secretariat of the party.
On Monday alone, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi quit the race amidst clear sign that he can hardly make three percent of the delegates votes. Another aspirant, Hon Sanya Ominrin not only dropped out of the race but pitched his tent with Senator Adeleke.
The cousin of Ademola Adeleke, Dele Adeleke who was allegedly very unpopular among the party faithfuls also withdrew from the race as reports indicated that he cannot even boast of a single delegate from his local government.
Reports indicated that the only Senator of the party from the state, Senator Fadahunsi has also tactically threw weight behind the populist senator while a one time deputy goveror of Osun state, Erelu Olusola Obada has also joined the long list of politicians who have endorsed Adeleke.
A top politician who is still contemplating what to do confided in our correspondent that ” the game is up. We pushed hard but Ademola is smarter. We are outpaced, outmatched. It is clear the guy has the ticket “, he said.
Another noted that ” the whole space favours the Ede man. There is no point pushing further. We tried armtwisting the national leadership but clearly there is no path farward. Of course , our legal actions are mere stunt”, he noted.
Aside spates of endorsement, a court judgement has also knocked off any legal blockade that previously challenged expected victory of the businessman turned politician.
The group of five aspirants who are now scattered had secured court injunctions with a ploy to substitute a new delegate list with their own allegedly “manufactured list”. The injunction effectively deprived the national leadership of authority to conduct Congresses as enshrined in the party constitution
While appropriate action was taken on those injunctions by the party leadership, a new court order was issued by an Ikirun High Court restoring the powers and mandate of the National leadership of the party.
The orders issued by the Ikirun high court are as follows:
1. An order of interim injunctionaffirming that it is only the national executive Committee ,either acting through itself or through the National Working Committee, in line with article 29(2),50(1),2(b),(e) and 3 of the constitution of the PDP,2017 that can validly conduct and supervise the Holden of ward Congress to elect the ward executive committee/officers of the party of September 25th,2021, ward Congress to elect 3 man adhoc ward delegates of 23rd to 24th of February 2022, LGA Congress to elect one national delegate and one person living with disability per LGA of March 1st 2022 and or primaries in accordance with the constitution of PDP, pending the determination of motion on notice;
2. An order of interim injunction mandating the respondents to make use of the Osun PDP delegate list containing the names of wards executive committee who were elected at the ward delegate of 2nd defendant’s congress which held on 25th of September, 2021and duly ratified at the National Convention of the 2nd defendant of 2021 for the purpose of 2nd defendant’s special state Congress ( gubernatorial primary nomination) slated for 8th March, 2022 to elect governorship candidate of the 2nd defendant for the Osun state governorship election fixed by the 4th defendantto 16th July, 2022…
Other orders issued by the court are contained below:
Meanwhile , the national leadership of the party has knocked former aspirant , Akin Ogunbiyi for blaming the national leadership for his withdrawal from the race.
The PDP national chairman Dr Iyorchia Ayu speaking through his media assistant reacted as follows:
“We are not aware that any governorship aspirant in Osun state has withdrawn from the guber-primaries, scheduled for tomorrow (8th March, 2022). We are just hearing it from you. And we hope it’s not true.
“But if it’s true, that decision has nothing to do with the PDP national secretariat, and least of all, the national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
“The party, under Dr. Ayu’s leadership, subscribes fully to the principle of internal democracy. And this is why the party is guaranteeing all aspirants to every elective office in our party a level playing field.
“We advise and encourage all aspirants in Osun state under our banner to take advantage of this democratic stand, and test their popularity at the primary.
“We wish all aspirants the best, but it’s the people who will decide on the pitch. We assure all that we have put in place every necessary machinery to ensure that the process is free, fair, transparent and credible.”
Ayu, speaking through his Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy, Simon Imobo-Tswam.7th March
