Court halts PDP’s planned chairmanship election in Lagos

A Lagos High Court has ordered the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop a planned election scheduled to hold today, November 13, 2019 in Lagos.

Justice Taofikat Oyekan-Abdullahi ordered the party to maintain status quo in an enrolment order filed before the court by the Lagos State party chairman, Dr. Adegbola Dominic and seven others.

The claimants had prayed for an order to restrain the party and other members from holding a special election scheduled for today, November 13, 2019.

Other claimants, aside Dominic, include John Babatunde Agbaje, Adeniyi Funsho Pakanu, Kehinde Oshinowo, Ademola Badejo, Alhaja Fatai Ajisefunmi, Bidemi Akojenu, and Chief Taiwo Kuye.

They want the court to restrain the party, Senator Ben Obi, Biodun Olujimi, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Danladi Baidu Tijo, Ahmed M. Mukthar and the INEC.

The judge held that the higher court had warned the court not to get involved in the party politics and that the maintenance of the law and order in Lagos is primus of the court.

“It is hereby ordered that the election planned for November 13 has no input of the state executive or in compliance with the party’s constitution. That the court shall halt in making any order other than the fact that parties shall keep peace and maintain status quo.”

The judge further ordered that the motion on notice be served on the respondents and the Director of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police and adjourned argument on the notice to November 18, 2019.

However, Dominic said that he remained the party’s chairman.

He stated this while speaking with newsmen in Lagos yesterday, noting that the planned election by some members of the party is illegal.

He said that the leaders of the party were determined that the party remains stable and vigorous.

Meanwhile a PDP chieftain, Chief Olabode George, urged the Kogi and Bayelsa states’ indigenes to vote en-masse for the party as a dividend of democracy.

Also, Ebenezer Babatope, Akerele Bucknor and Alabi Fawole, who alleged that the people that planned the election were working for another party, said: “We know who is behind the election. They want to destabilise the party.

“It is the same thing they planned to do in Osun State. Those who are behind this cannot bring our party down. Some over-ambitious young men are trying to do this. They planned to invade other states and we resisted them.”