PDP Candidacy: Dosunmu Knows Fate 3 March

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has reserved ruling till 3 March 2011 in a suit filed by a People’s Democracy Party, PDP, member, Mr. Oluowo Adeyeri challenging the candidacy of Dr. Shamsideen Ade Dosunmu as the party’s standard bearer in the April governorship election in Lagos State.

While announcing the date, Justice Binta Murtala Nyako ordered the two parties not to do anything that could jeopardise the case.

Counsel to the two parties in the matter, Tunde Akinrimisi leading four other lawyers for the plaintiff and Oluwole Delano, SAN, with six others for the defence, had adopted their written addresses.

Thereafter, Akinrimisi complained to the court that despite the pronouncement of Justice Nyako last Thursday, Dr. Dosunmu, in flagrant disobedience of the court order, flagged off his campaign last Friday.

Consequently, Justice Nyako orderd the two parties not to do anything until 3 March, 2011 when she will deliver her judgement in the suit.

Adeyeri, the plaintiff who is a member of the PDP and a delegate to the state congress of the party instituted the action praying the court to stop the first defendant, Dr. Dosunmu as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State in the April 2011 election.

He claimed that as at the time of his election, Dosunmu was not a card-carrying member of the PDP for two years as enshrined in the party’s constitution.

Adeyeri also asked the court to disqualify Dosunmu on the ground that he did not voluntarily disengage as the Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, but he was removed for alleged financial impropriety.

Justice Nyako, in an interim ruling last Thursday, ordered Dosunmu to suspend his campaigns because the PDP has no governorship candidate in Lagos State until the suit has been disposed off.

—Akin Kuponiyi