The controversy over the authentic candidate of Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 gubernatorial election worsened, yesterday, as Mr. Ladi Adebutu tackles Mr. Segun Showunmi for misinterpreting the ruling of the Appeal Court in Abuja that he (Showunmi) is now the rightful candidate of the party.

In a statement, Director of Media, Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, said the purported affirmation of Showunmi as the candidate of Ogun PDP by the Appeal Court ruling on Monday was a complete departure from the actual matter before the court.

Orekoya’s reaction came on the heels of the statement issued on Monday by Showunmi group that the Appeal Court judgment by Justice Chide Nwaoma Uwa allowed the appeal of Showunmi and set aside the ruling of the lower court.

According to Orekoya, the fact of the matter is that the originating summons filed by Segun Showunmi was instituted at the State High Court of Ogun State on April 1, 2022 seeking:

“An order of the court to dissolve the entire executive of the Ogun State PDP on the premise that the executive of the state’s PDP was biased by obtaining form for one of the aspirants.

“An order seeking the barring of entire members of Ogun PDP executive from conducting the primaries of the party.

“An order seeking the national party to constitute a three-man caretaker committee to conduct the party’s primaries.”

He said that the trial judge, Abiodun Akinyemi of the State High Court on Thursday, May 19, 2022, ruled: “I find and hold that this court has no justification to entertain this suit. Accordingly, it is struck out.”

Orekoya said the above background was given for the public to be well informed that the basis of Showunmi’s appeal was based only on jurisdiction and not candidacy, saying: “The Appeal Court only sat on whether the state High Court has jurisdiction to hear his suit or not. The court only held that even though the matter is time-bound but the state high court should have given him an opportunity to hear his matter.

“Therefore, the purported report on some media platforms that the Appeal Court affirmed that Segun Showunmi is the candidate of the Ogun PDP was a fake and complete departure from the Appeal Court ruling.”