Daniel Loses Bid To Get Court Injunction

Moves by the embattled Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel and his faction in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to upturn a ruling by a Federal High Court, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on the recognition of the list of candidates presented by the Harmonised Committee of the party for the April 2011 elections suffered a setback this morning.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta , presided over by Justice Rita Offili-Ajumogobia in her ruling after hearing pleas from both counsel to parties in the dispute, turned down the request of the Daniel faction, insisting that the respondents ought to have been properly put on notice.

“As soon as the respondents are properly put on notice, the court will take proper decision,” the judge ruled, after a sitting which lasted about 15 minutes.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had on 26 January this year restrained INEC from recognising the list forwarded to it by the faction which had Mr Gboyega Isiaka as its governorship candidate.

Consequently, the commission had, in obedience to the court ruling, recognised the one submitted to it by the Jubril Martins Kuye faction with Gen. Adetunji Olurin (retd.) as the governorship candidate.

The Daniel faction not satisfied with the development headed for the Federal High in Abeokuta , where Isiaka and 38 others had approached the court, asking it to restrain INEC from substituting the list submitted by the committee.

The case, which was filed on Wednesday before Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, came up for hearing on Thursday with ruling fixed for this morning.

The court was filled to capacity as supporters of the two factions besieged the court.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, who submitted that she was aware that a similar matter was before a Federal High Court in Abuja , said she would like to avoid confusion on the matter, especially given its sensitive nature.

The defence counsel, Mr. Ajibola Oloyede, told newsmen after the court sitting that with the move, the plaintiff (Isiaka) only wanted to drag the judiciary into political contest and thereby pitch the judges against each other.

“Unfortunately for them, they came before a judge who knows her onions and who quickly dismissed their application,” he said.

However, counsel to the plaintiff, Dr Yemi Oke, said that the application was aimed at restraining INEC from taking further action on the list of candidates it had earlier approved.

“The matter is still pending and INEC cannot substitute other names with the list forwarded to them by the party,” Oke said.

Shortly after the sitting the Harmonized Committee members along with members of a political group called Omo Ilu that is fiercely opposed to the Daniel faction trooped into the ever-busy Abeokuta/Sagamu road to dance and express happiness over the development.

—Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta