Court asked to nullify elections of PDP’s treasurer, deputy publicity secretary

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West,
Chief Pegba Otemolu, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to
nullify the elections of the party’s National Treasurer and Deputy
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Aribisala Adewale and
Diran Odeyemi, respectively, who emerged at the December 9, 2017
congress of the party.

Otemolu, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1284/2017 and filed on
December 23, 2017, asked the court to replace substitute Adewale
with Chief Folorunsho Babalola as the National Treasurer and
Bamidele Salam as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

The plaintiff joined the PDP, the Independent National Electoral
Commission, Adewale and Odeyemi as the defendants.

He contended that the nomination and the subsequent emergence of
Adewale and Odeyemi as national officers of the party violated an
earlier judgment of the court delivered on June 24 2016.

He said he remained the PDP’s zonal secretary in the South-West
having been elected for a tenure of four years alongside other
members of the party’s executive committee in the zone at a
congress held on October 11, 2017.

He also contended that the authenticity of his South-West Zonal
Executive Committee was sanctioned by a judgment of the Lagos
Division of the Federal High Court on June 24, 2016.

Therefore, he argued that failure of the party to recognise his
executive committee’s list of delegates for the party’s December 9,
2017 national congress had rendered the elections of Adewale and
Odeyemi “purportedly” nominated by the South-West zone of the party
a nullity.

A supporting affidavit filed alongside the suit was deposed to
by Egodo Elvis, a litigation officer in the law firm of the
plaintiff’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN).

He stated, “That by the terms of the judgment dated June 24,
2016 of this honourble court, the plaintiff’s South West Executive
Committee of the 1st defendant (PDP) are the valid and authentic
executive committee until their tenure expires; as such, they are
the Executive Committee to be accepted and recognised for any
purpose on issues relating to the South-West Executive Committee of
the 1st defendant including the convening of the National
Convention of the 1st defendant.

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West,
Chief Pegba Otemolu, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to
nullify the elections of the party’s National Treasurer and Deputy
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Aribisala Adewale and
Diran Odeyemi, respectively, who emerged at the December 9, 2017
congress of the party.

Otemolu, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1284/2017 and filed on
December 23, 2017, asked the court to replace substitute Adewale
with Chief Folorunsho Babalola as the National Treasurer and
Bamidele Salam as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

The plaintiff joined the PDP, the Independent National Electoral
Commission, Adewale and Odeyemi as the defendants.

He contended that the nomination and the subsequent emergence of
Adewale and Odeyemi as national officers of the party violated an
earlier judgment of the court delivered on June 24 2016.

He said he remained the PDP’s zonal secretary in the South-West
having been elected for a tenure of four years alongside other
members of the party’s executive committee in the zone at a
congress held on October 11, 2017.

He also contended that the authenticity of his South-West Zonal
Executive Committee was sanctioned by a judgment of the Lagos
Division of the Federal High Court on June 24, 2016.

Therefore, he argued that failure of the party to recognise his
executive committee’s list of delegates for the party’s December 9,
2017 national congress had rendered the elections of Adewale and
Odeyemi “purportedly” nominated by the South-West zone of the party
a nullity.

A supporting affidavit filed alongside the suit was deposed to
by Egodo Elvis, a litigation officer in the law firm of the
plaintiff’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN).

He stated, “That by the terms of the judgment dated June 24,
2016 of this honourble court, the plaintiff’s South West Executive
Committee of the 1st defendant (PDP) are the valid and authentic
executive committee until their tenure expires; as such, they are
the Executive Committee to be accepted and recognised for any
purpose on issues relating to the South-West Executive Committee of
the 1st defendant including the convening of the National
Convention of the 1st defendant.