Court stops INEC from interfering in Ondo PDP crises

THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday again ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to meddle in the Ondo State Peoples Democratic (PDP) crises.

   This order was given by the Presiding Judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, while adjudicating on the case brought before him for trial by the Ogunye-led executives, as applicant against INEC and the Clement Faboyede-led faction of the PDP on the submission of candidates lists for the forthcoming elections.

   The presiding judge maintained that the subsisting judgement, when succinctly interpreted, precludes INEC from accepting PDP candidates’ list for elections in Ondo State until it rules on committal proceedings before it.

   Meanwhile, the new Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Segun Agbaje, who resumed office in Akure last month, affirmed the injunction and further warned that the state PDP might not present candidates in the general elections, while speaking with journalists in his office.

   PDP and INEC had intensely addressed the court extensively on which application to address first between the preliminary objections brought by the PDP or the motion for committal by the old PDP candidates and applicants in the suit.

   Consequent upon the defection of Governor Mimiko from the Labour Party (LP) to the PDP, his claims to the party structures and domineering swipe on all the electoral positions in the forthcoming election, these have created a clear-cut schism and enmity within the party in the state.

   In furtherance of the status quo, Justice Ademola, while fixing the committal proceeding for hearing yesterday, however, stated that the order of the court made by Justice Ahmed Mohammed on December 30, 2014 was still subsisting.

   The presiding judge cautioned INEC that, “doing opposite of what Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court ordered is dangerous and you have to be careful.”