Osun PDP: Supreme Court dismiss suit challenging Adeleke’s candidacy

Chigozie Ikpo, Abuja

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal challenging the candidacy of Osun state Governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, in the state’s party primary election.

The five man panel led by Justice Amina Augie dismissed the suit on the ground that it was filled out of time.

The Apex court relied on Section 285 (11) of the Electoral Act, which states that all an appeal must appeal within 14 days from the earlier decision.

Counsel to Babayemi, Adebayo Adelodun, SAN, told the court that they filled an appeal within the 14 days, which was incomplete, making them file another that incidentally fell on the 15th day.

He prayed the court to be consider the application in the line of justice to the appellant.

Having filled the motion for appeal out of time, the court dismissed the suit outrightly.

The Supreme Court ruled in a suit filled by a PDP governorship aspirant, Dotun Babayemi, who asked the court to invalidate the July 16 primary election that produced the governor-elect, citing non-compliance with a court order.

Babayemi, a former aspirant and now dismissed member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun chapter is sought court redress over the authentic candidate between him and Senator Adeleke.

Senator Adeleke who was recognised as the authentic candidate by the PDP National Working Committee won the Osun July 16 governorship election against the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola.

But Prince Dotun Babayemi who was allegedly elected as the party’s flag bearer at a parallel congress is laying claim to be the authentic governorship candidate of Osun PDP.

Recall that on May 18, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, in his judgment on the matter upheld the governorship primary that produced Adeleke.

In the same vein, the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, in its judgment of July 20 on the appeal filed against the decision of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, aligned with the lower court and dismissed Babayemi’s appeal.

The Supreme Court judgment today validates the July 16 primary election of the PDP in Osun state, which authenticates Adeleke’s candidacy for the party.

Adeleke will be sworn in as the executive governor of Osun on November 27.