Adeleke's camp is concerned about lawsuits and courting a PDP breakaway
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| Senator Ademola Adeleke |
Ademola Adeleke's campaign is concerned about a lawsuit Prince Dotun Babayemi, his opponent in the Peoples Democratic Party primary, filed at the Court of Appeal in Akure.
In separate interviews with The PUNCH on Monday, members of the group acknowledged that the lawsuit put the PDP's victory in the Osun State governorship election on Saturday in jeopardy and said the party has started a reconciliation process with Babayemi.
Dr. Adekunle Akindele, the acting PDP chairman of Osun State, Oladele Oluwabamiji, the PDP legal committee secretary, and Hashim Abioye were all representatives of the Adeleke camp who spoke to The MEDIA.
According to information obtained, Adeleke's camp was worried that outside forces may use the situation to undermine the party's triumph.
On March 8, the PDP in Osun State held two governorship primary elections in which Adeleke and Babayemi competed.
While Adeleke won the primary that was overseen by Deputy Governor of Bayelsa Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo at the Osogbo City Stadium, Babayemi was proclaimed the winner at the primary that was held at the Children and Women Development Center in Osogbo.
As a result, Babayemi made his way to the Federal High Court in Osogbo to ask to be recognized as the PDP's legitimate governorship candidate.
However, the court upheld Adeleke as the Osun State PDP's duly elected governorship candidate in a decision by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel.
Babayemi appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal in Akure after being dissatisfied with the outcome in an effort to be recognized as the PDP governorship candidate.
Oluwabamiji, the Osun State PDP's director of media, stated that all disgruntled party members posed a threat to the PDP's success and that no chance would be given to outside forces to take advantage of the circumstance.
According to Oluwabamiji, any member of our party who feels wronged poses a threat, not to mention potential legal issues.
Major gladiators' cries are sufficient to signal danger. I know that our leaders are not losing any sleep over it. Despite our electoral victory, they continue to speak with Prince Dotun Babayemi and other members of the party. Together, we are always better. We don't regard someone as a given.
"We think that everyone has to join the team right away so that we can run the state smoothly and keep our commitments to the wonderful people of Osun State. You are aware that as a political party, we cannot operate under that premise.
The party chieftain expressed optimism that Babayemi would succumb to reason, adding that attempts are being made to appease the rival governorship candidate.
"I'm convinced that the blue blood in him will speak to his veins," he said, referring to Dotun Babayemi, who is a royal. We need some fresh air, and the good people of Osun State have provided it by voting in the governor's race.
"We're still attempting to communicate with him and control the situation. No one can be helped by differences. The worst that internal strife can do to a political party has already been witnessed. We won't take any actions that could leave us vulnerable to infiltration by other forces.
We're still attempting to communicate with him and control the situation. No one can be helped by differences. The worst that internal strife can do to a political party has already been witnessed. We won't take any actions that could leave us vulnerable to infiltration by other forces.
Akindele, the interim PDP chairman for Osun, expressed confidence that the issue would be dropped and the situation would be settled amicably.
"First of all, it's just an intellectual exercise, but since he's a member of our party and he's upset, we've been getting together to find a political solution to it. We are hopeful that a compromise will be reached and that he would drop the claim before Wednesday, Akindele said.
legal council
Abioye, the secretary of the PDP Legal Committee, revealed that the Appellate Court has postponed decision indefinitely on the case, which was scheduled for hearing on July 13.
According to him, an Abuja Federal High Court earlier ruled in favor of the Osun governor-elect in a case he instituted against the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission in which he asked the court to declare him the legally elected governorship candidate of the party in Osun. This was before the Osogbo Federal High Court rendered its decision on Babayemi's case against Adeleke.
Abioye said that Adeleke's victory at the Federal High Court in Abuja came after a favorable decision by the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
"What many people don't know is that there was a judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which validated the candidature of Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke Jackson as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Osun State before Osogbo Federal High Court gave judgment on Babayemi's matter," he said.
"That decision was rendered in the Prince Dotun Babayemi lawsuit before the Federal High Court in Osogbo. Prince Babayemi, who was not a party to the lawsuit but was interested in it, requested permission to appeal after the Federal High Court in Abuja's ruling in Adeleke's lawsuit against INEC and the PDP.
"However, the Abuja Court of Appeal dismissed the case for lack of merit. When the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued its ruling, the Federal High Court in Osogbo had already rendered its decision in the lawsuit Babayemi had brought, and the matter had likewise been dismissed because of Babayemi's lack of locus standi, according to the court.
In its ruling, the Abuja Court of Appeal cited the Osogbo Federal High Court's decision.
The National Executive Committee of the party, which is the body recognized by law, held the party's primary election, according to the Court of Appeal's ruling, which was further disclosed by the secretary of the PDP Legal Committee.
"Babayemi then appealed the ruling of the Osogbo Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal, Akure," he said, "following the Abuja Court of Appeal judgement.
"The appeal has been filed, the parties have presented their arguments, and now everyone is awaiting the court's decision. Although judgment in the case is reserved, the date has not yet been announced.
The lawsuit is merely an academic exercise in the first place, but since he is a member of our party and is upset, we have already scheduled a meeting to find a political solution. We are hopeful that a compromise will be reached and that he will drop the lawsuit.
Kayode Oladeji, the Babayemi Campaign Organization's spokesperson, could not be reached for comment.
Additionally, Babayemi's phone was off when he tried to be reached for comment upon Adeleke's triumph. As of the time this report was filed, our correspondent's SMS message to him had not received a response.
However, a source within the Babayemi Campaign Organization claimed that efforts were being made to halt future litigation, and that numerous leaders were pleading with Babayemi to abandon his complaints.
There have been meetings on the subject, he said. It is not a trivial issue, and numerous leaders are speaking out about the Akure Court of Appeal decision. But Babayemi has not yet made a decision.
Adeleke's initiative
In contrast, Sunday Bisi, the director general of the Adeleke Campaign Organization, denied the existence of a rival governorship candidate in an interview with The MEDIA.
We do not have any factional candidates, he declared. The names of the candidates from all political parties have been made public by INEC. The fact that we had two candidates for governor was never mentioned in the publication.
"Therefore, claiming someone is factional will be incorrect and illegal; we do not have it again. Ademola Adeleke is the only candidate in the race. The group as a whole cannot be divided. The PDP does not have a faction. I'm aware that PDP is one right now. And if somebody has filed a lawsuit, let the court make that decision.
However, a source revealed to one of our correspondents that Babayemi's team had requested a Senate ticket and two House of Representatives seats before to the gubernatorial election in order to withdraw the petition from the Court of Appeal.
The Babayemi faction wanted two House of Representatives seats and a senatorial ticket as part of a reconciliation effort before to the elections. They were informed it would not be feasible but were given the assurance that when Adeleke was elected governor, a diverse government would be managed, the source continued.
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of the state who backed the March primary that produced Babayemi, congratulated Adeleke on Sunday.
Oyinlola characterized Adeleke's victory in the election on Saturday as a heavenly validation of his work in a statement issued in Okuku, Osun State.
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