Factional governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state, Oladipupo Adebutu claims that, the news of the appeal court judgement purported to have affirmed the Governorship candidacy of Segun Sowunmi, is not accurate. Adebutu insists, the court never pronounced Sowunmi as the party’s candidate.
Recall that a news broke on Monday that the appeal court had ruled in favour of Sowunmi as the party’s flagbearer in Ogun state, as against Oladipupo Adebutu who had been parading himself as the authentic candidate.
In a statement released by the Director of Media for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, the court only ruled on its jurisdiction on the matters taken before it and not on the candidacy of Sowunmi.
The statement reads in part: “The fact of the matter are stated below:
“1. The originating summons filed by Segun Sowunmi with suit number AB/267/2022 was instituted at the State High Court of OGUN State on 19th April, 2022 seeking an Order of the Court to dissolve the entire Executive of the OGUN state PDP on the premise that the State Exco of PDP was biased by obtaining form for one of the aspirants.
“2. An order seeking the barring of entire members of Ogun PDP Exco from conducting the primaries of the party.
“3. An order seeking the National Party to constitute a 3-man caretaker committee to conduct the party’s primaries.”
The statement further clarifies that, the court’s only interest was about the jurisdiction of the matter.
“…in the wisdom of Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the State High Court on Thursday, 19th May, 2022, ruled that “I find and hold that this court has no justification to entertain this suit. Accordingly, it is struck out”.
“The above background is given for the general public to be well informed of the basis of Sowunmi’s appeal based only on jurisdiction and not candidacy.
“The appeal court only sat on whether the State high court has jurisdiction to hear his suit or not.
“The appeal court ONLY held that even though the matter is time bound but the State High court should have given him an opportunity to hear his matter.
“Therefore, the purported report on some media platforms that the appeal court affirmed that Segun Sowunmi is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party was fake and complete departure from the appeal court ruling.”
[…] “You lied!” Adebutu insists court never pronounced Sowunmi as PDP governorship candidate in Ogun… […]