ABEOKUTA– The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has raised concerns over an alleged frivolous law suit targetted to stop its candidates from participating in the forthcoming local government election.
The suit, Instituted by a former chairman of the party, Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele is asking the court to declare the party candidates as illegible.
Speaking with newsmen at the party secretariat in Abeokuta, Wednesday, the Chairman of the party, Hon. Abayomi Tella alleged that the former chairman is doing the bidding of the ruling party.
Tella added that the suit is one of many desperate moves by the State Government and the ruling Party to silent and prevent opposition parties to participate in the Saturday, November 16 Local Government elections in the state.
“Before the present unwarranted suit against our party instituted by their agents within our party, there were many previous attempts ranging from the disruption of our Party congress which we had very successfully; presentation of parallel candidates list to the OGSIEC which also failed and now a case against the Party saying the Party’s candidates are not members of the Party.
“In as much as we cannot pre-empt the court; it is important that we inform the public on the various tactics and actions going on at the background particularly when the ruling party has seen the acceptability of our candidates across the 20 Local governments of the state and of course realized that the winning chances of our party in gaining more momentum on daily basis as we approach the election day.
“The first question is, why instituting a case about the membership of candidates sponsored by the party in compliance with the rules and guidelines of OGSIEC that candidates are to be sponsored by a party; when OGSIEC is not complaining.
“We want to state emphatically that we believe strongly in the rule of law and have due respect for our judiciary; therefore, we are expecting true justice even though, we not unaware that the Judge assigned with the case use to be a card carrying member of the Ruling party- APC, A former Caretaker Chairman of Ikenne Local Government.
“We only need to enumerate the political profile of the judge not because we are doubting his integrity, but we are using this as an advice that if he cannot recuse himself from this case, he should deliver true justice which will be in line with the rule of law”, he said
The chairman however called on the State Electoral Commission to be free and fair; ensuring even and prompt distribution of materials to all polling units across the 20 Local Governments.
“The Commission should also be transparent enough to issue clean result sheets particularly the EC8As to all the 5,042 polling units. We also want hammer that the Commission should ensure all results are declared at the respective collation centres starting from the polling units to the Ward Collation Centres and the Local Governments”, he added
