Appeal Court reinstates Ladi Adebutu, others as PDP flag bearers in Ogun State

The Court of Appeal in Ibadan has set aside the Federal High Court judgement sacking all candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun and declared their immediate reinstatement. 

The Presiding Judge, Justice Folasade Ojo in her ruling, declared that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter as the plaintiffs lacked “locus standi” to have approached the court.

She further ruled that the trial court was wrong in its ruling that asked INEC to certify the party’s factional candidates.

The appellate court affirmed that only the party’s national leadership could nominate and conduct a primary election of the party. 

You would recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, had declared in agreement with a faction of the party led by Jimi Lawal, Taiwo Olabode and Kehinde Akala, that the party leaders had acted in bad faith when it militarised the venue of the May 25 primary election. 

The court had declared the candidacy of Ladi Adebutu and the primary election process null and void, it consequently ordered the party to hold new primaries within 14 days under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The faction of the party had accused the party’s state leadership of altering the authentic delegates’ list and hence installing loyalists as party delegates.

The Appeal Court however threw out the case,