PDP National Convention: Legal Adviser speaks on Ekiti, Osun delegates

Ahead of the October 30-31 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), the National Legal Adviser of the party, Emmanuel Enoiden has written a letter to the National Organizing Secretary to accept the delegates from Ekiti and the Osun States.

A memo sent to the National Organizing Secretary, dated October 26, seen by Newsflash Nigeria said the ward and local government delegates of Osun State are valid and approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and should be accepted.

Similarly, the Ward, local government and State delegates of Ekiti State are valid, approved by NEC and should be implemented by the party for all purposes including admitting delegates therefrom into the National Convention.

Recall that Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta and chairman of accreditation sub-committee chairman said that Ekiti and one other state still has issues of people contending in court as to whether some elected officials (delegates) at the state should be on the list or not.

He said that the party’s legal adviser would offer his advice on how to go about the issue.

“We may likely not have conflicting delegates, but wherever we think that there is a court order, we have no choice than to exit those delegates.

“Except for the statutory delegates, who by their right and positions held in the past are not by reasons of election supposed to delegate,” he said on Tuesday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

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Newsflash Nigeria had reported that the Appeal Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on January 27, 2021, dismissed the suit filed by the caucus loyal to the Senator representing Ekiti South senatorial district, Biodun Olujimi over the congress that produced the present Ward Executive Committee members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State.

After the violent Congress in Ekiti, the National Working Committee had recognised the ward and local government executives loyal to Governor Ayodele Fayose, from where Otunba Bisi Kolawole had emerged as the State Chairman.

Miffed by the outcome, those loyal to Senator Olujimi had approached the court to seek redress.

One Oladimeji Samson Olalekan and others, had filed a motion ex-parte, seeking an order of the court, restraining the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) from announcing, publishing, and recognising any list as a result of the election of Ward Executives and three ad-hoc delegates held on March 7, 2020.

They also sought an order restraining the party from acting on or making use of the names of winners of the Congresses for the purpose of the Local Government, State and Zonal Congresses.

At the lower court, Justice Uche N. Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti had on Friday, July 17, 2020, dismissed the suit, describing it as undoubtedly not justiceable as same is within an internal affair of the PDP, citing UKUT vs. APC.

Delivering judgment in the Appeal Number CA/EK/57/2020, the Appellate court upheld the decision of the trial Court and resolved all issues against the Appellant, Oladimeji Samson Olalekan.

The court also awarded N200,000 cost against the plaintiff and their Counsel to be paid to the PDP, the 4th and 5th defendants on or before September 1, 2020.

In upholding the lower court’s decision, Justice T.N Orji-Abadua, said: “The appellant’s case was not justifiable since it was centred on internal affairs of a political party”.

READ THE INTERNAL MEMO ON OSUN AND EKITI STATES FROM NATIONAL LEGAL ADVISER HERE

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