An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has nullified the expulsion of Dotun Babayemi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state pending the determination of a substantive suit.

The executive members of the PDP from Babayemi’s Otun Balogun Ward 2 in Gbongan had announced his expulsion from the party. But in a counter move on Monday, a faction of the Ward 2 executive committee nullified the expulsion and at the same time suspended those behind the action.

However, on Tuesday, Justice Jide Falola of the State High Court sitting in Osogbo, ruled against the PDP from expelling Babayemi from the party pending the determination of the substantive suit.

In his ruling, Justice Falola maintained that going by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe’s pronouncements in the suit filed by Mr. Ademola Adedokun and 20 others on behalf of themselves and ward executive officers elected on September 25, 2021 in the ward election supervised by the then State PDP Chairman, Olasoji Adagunodo, the persons that undertook the expulsion of Babayemi were ordinary members of the party and as such, impostors.

According to Justice Falola, the expulsion of Babayemi was questionable. He said: “The court is there to intervene where there is a serious dispute, such as we have here. In effect, I find merit in the motion ex-parte for order of mandatory interim injunction as disposed to. The party has broken into factions in Otun Balogun Ward 2 in Gbongan. Based on the above premise, I hereby accede to the prayers of the applicant.

“To this effect, the court has decided to reverse and put in abeyance the purported expulsion of Babayemi, warning that the 1st to 10th defendants/respondents shall suspend all steps taken or planning to take with a view to giving effect to the purported expulsion of the plaintiff/applicant, and shall not embark on any punitive acts against the plaintiff/applicant.”

The judge further directed that the rights and privileges of Babayemi be restored in the interim as a full-fledged member of the PDP in Otun Balogun Ward 2 in Gbongan.