Ogun PDP Primaries: Showunmi heads to court, warns party against contempt

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Chief Segun Showunmi, has approached the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking an order of injunction restraining the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) from giving effect to the court ruling which struck out his suit for dissolution of the Ogun PDP executives.

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta had on Thursday struck out Showunmi’s suit seeking the dissolution of the PDP State Working Committee ahead of the party’s primaries.

The party’s gubernatorial primary election is scheduled to hold on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

Apart from Showunmi, two other governorship aspirants, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu and Otunba Jimi Lawal, are billed to participate in the primaries.

Showunmi, however, warned the PDP national leadership against taking any step which could overreach the order of the court or render the entire suit nugatory and put the party in contempt.

Speaking to newsmen in Abeokuta on Friday, Showunmi said his lawyers had already filed an appeal against the high court ruling which dismissed his suit no. AB/267/2022 on Thursday.

He argued that the learned trial judge of the High Court erred in law when he held that the appellant’s suit was a pre-election matter and dismissed the suit for want of jurisdiction at the interlocutory stage contrary to the clear provisions of section 285 (8) of the 1999 constitution.

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The gubernatorial aspirant, however, expressed hope that the party leadership would ensure that the rule of law prevails in the circumstance by mandating the Ogun PDP executives to wait for the decision of the Court of Appeal.

Showunmi further expressed optimism that the PDP executives would be restrained from participating in any other congresses scheduled pending the appeal.

He added that he had notified the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, about the pending appeal via a letter by his legal counsel, Monday Mawah.

When asked if the court case would not adversely affect the chances of Ogun PDP in the forthcoming elections, Showunmi said he was only committed to enthronement of truth and justice in the party.

The gubernatorial hopeful declared that he remains the best for the party in defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The Star