The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed Oladipupo Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State for the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state.
The court affirmed Adebutu as the governorship flag-bearer of the PDP after it dismissed a suit filed by Jimi Adebisi-Lawal against Adebutu over the Ogun PDP governorship ticket.
Lawal and Adebutu are both claiming to be the governorship candidate of the party for the 2023 governorship election in Ogun State.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that he did not see any concrete evidence by Lawal to support his claim that an unlawful delegate list was used by the PDP to conduct the April 30 ward congress in Ogun State.
Justice Ekwo said the plaintiff, by filing the suit, was only playing the role of a spoiler as the suit was a product of an afterthought.
“I have no reason to say that the primary election was invalid, null and void.
“Upon reviewing the evidence, I find that the plaintiff attempted to use a further affidavit to amend his originating summons.
“The case of the plaintiff has been debunked by exhibits of the defendants.
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“I find that the case of the plaintiff lacks credible evidence and I make an order dismissing the case,” the judge said.
Lawal, who contested the May 25 governorship primary election of the PDP in Ogun State had challenged the emergence of Adebutu as the governorship candidate.
He based his claims on grounds of alleged unlawful and invalid delegates list which was fraudulently used by PDP to conduct the election.
He asked the court to cancel the governorship primary election and order that another election be conducted with the authentic ad hoc delegates list.
His suit, filed in June, was turned down by Justice Taiwo Taiwo on grounds of lack of jurisdiction.
Justice Taiwo, in his judgement on July 29, held that the primary election was a domestic affair of any political party and dismissed the suit.
However, following Lawal’s appeal, the judgement of Taiwo was set aside and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court was ordered to reassign the suit for fresh hearing by another judge.
The Supreme Court, while affirming the judgement of the appellate court, on November 21, ordered that the case be given expeditious hearing.
The court based its ruling on the grounds that the 180 days allowed in law for pre-election matters would soon elapse.
The case was re-assigned to Justice Ekwo who observed that the life span of the suit would elapse on Friday and subsequently fixed December 1 for judgement.
Justice Ekwo, however, heard the suit expeditiously in compliance of the order of the apex court.
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