Society Gists

The lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Buruji Kashamu Saturday urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept the decision of the court that declared him the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State.

Kashamu noted that the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the state’s governorship candidates “is in line with several judgments and orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.”

He expressed the view at a news conference he addressed in Lagos Saturday, insisting that he remained the governorship candidate of the party in Ogun State.

Contrary to some reports, Kashamu said the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had since June 24, 2016 delivered a judgment authenticating the Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP Executive Council as the only lawful body to conduct the activities of the PDP in the state, including the conduct of party primaries.

Kashamu said that up till date, that judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court was yet to be upturned on appeal.

He noted that the court decision was the reason an Abuja High Court on January 14, 2019 dismissed a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, in which he wanted the court to declare him as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State.

Kashamu, therefore, faulted a statement credited to the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan that the PDP would continue to recognise Adebutu as candidate of the party.

Ologbondiyan had said Adebutu remained the candidate of the party despite the court pronouncements and INEC’s compliance.