Lagos PDP aspirant sues chairman over name substitution

A PEOPLE’S Democratic Party‎ (PDP) aspirant to the House of Representatives from Lagos, Mr. Abdulkabir Lawal, has sued the party’s chairman in Lagos, Olatunji Shelle, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, for allegedly transferring his mandate to one Adebola Gbabijo.

Lawal, who accused Shelle of giving the party’s mandate to Gbabijo who polled 28 votes in the PDP primary where he claimed to have been declared winner with 29 votes, is seeking a declaration that he is the bonafide PDP candidate representing Epe Federal Constituency for election into the House of Representatives.

Lawal, through his counsel, Dr. Yemi Oke, prayed Justice Mohammed Yunusa to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expunge Gbabijo’s name from its register and replace same with his own.

Joined as respondents in the suit are Shelle, Gbabijo, PDP and INEC.

Though the applicant, through a motion ex-parte, urged Yunusa to make an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from recognising Gbabijo as the PDP candidate for Epe Federal Constituency, the judge, however, declined and rather asked that the respondents be put on notice.

He subsequently adjourned till March 16, 2015 for hearing of the substantive suit.