The factional crisis rocking the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened as the Tunde Olatunde-led faction has urged an Ado Ekiti High Court to stop the nomination of new candidates for the party.

The faction wants the court to affirm winners of the party primaries conducted in November 2011 as the valid candidates for the election.

The faction averred that the election of those candidates were still valid and prayed the court to declare the nomination of another set of candidates by the Idowu Faleye-led faction as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

In the suit filed by Olatunde and seven others, the plaintiffs averred that Faleye and his group lack the constitutional power to preside over nomination of candidates.

The Faleye-led faction who is loyal to Governor Ayodele Fayose has nominated fresh chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the local council polls scheduled to hold on December 19, this year.

The candidates of the faction loyal to the governor who were selected at a primary held at Jibowu Hall of the Government House had since commenced campaign and placement of adverts to woo the electorate.

The defendants in the suit included Faleye, Nelson Shaba, Tope Adejorin, Mrs. Yemisi Afolabi, Jackson Adebayo, Ayo Ogungbuyi, Ayoola Dimeji, Rashid Apempe, PDP caretaker committee and Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

According to a witness statement on oath deposed to by the 3rd Claimant, Dr. Tope Aluko, there is a return list of candidates declared qualified to contest election into the local government election in a primary poll conducted on November28, 2011 which was duly signed by relevant constituted authorities in accordance with the PDP constitution.

Among the reliefs sought by the claimants include an order of the court directing the 10th defendant (SIEC) not to accept any list or return list of candidates declared to contest for LG elections on behalf of (and) on the platform of the PDP.

They also sought an order that the 1st-9th defendants have no power to convene any meeting without the knowledge, consent, written permission of the 2nd-8th claimants.