Nigerian Court sacks Ondo PDP executives

An Akure High Court in Nigeria’s western state of Ondo on Thursday restrained members of the state and local government executives of the PDP from parading themselves as officers in their various offices.

The restriction order on the executives was sequel to the nullification of congresses that produced the leaders at the state level and in the 18 local government areas of the state.

Justice C.E.T Ajana gave the order in his ruling on an application filed by some PDP members, restraining the executive members from parading themselves as PDP executives.

Ajana said that the congresses were held in disobedience to an order of the court which restrained the party from conducting the congresses.

The plaintiffs in the suit which had been adjourned till Nov. 5, are Mrs Alaka Abigail, Messrs Adetokunbo Michael, Fanika Oluwasina and Akinyemi Rufus.

The plaintiffs’ counsel, Kayode Olorunfemi, said that the congresses that produced the officers were conducted after an order of the court that restrained the defendants from participating as candidates.

The defendants in the suit were members of the nine-man interim committee headed by Mr Ebenezer Alabi, following the resignation of the Omotayo Dairo led executive.

“The state congress of PDP in Ondo state held on March 17 at Helena Hotel, Akure in which the defendants took part in disobedience of a subsisting court order is hereby annulled and nullified.

“All those who emerged as officers of the Ondo state PDP executives in flagrant disobedience of the court’s order are hereby restrained from parading themselves as PDP leaders until the final determination of the suit,’’ Ajana said.

However, the party at a news conference, said that the ruling had nothing to do with the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, who was unanimously adopted by all the aspirants.

The news conference was addressed by Dr Oluwadare Bada, the Director General of the Campaign Organisation of the Governorship Candidate for Oct. 20 election.

Bada said that the party had filed a notice of appeal against the ruling while a notice for a stay of execution of the ruling had also been filed.

The director general of the campaign organisation said that the governorship candidate emerged though a process that was supervised by the national executive of the party and INEC.