South West PDP elders canvass peace, equity for development

•Court dismisses suit challenging Makinde’s candidature

The South West Elders Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm that nation was losing grip on critical issues of peace, harmony and stability, citing the challenges in Yorubaland in the last couple of years.

The body also called for better management of elections, describing the current regime of physical carriage of result sheets nationwide as primitive and susceptible to distortions.

Rising from a meeting yesterday in Lagos, the elders urged the party leadership across the federation to return to the first principle of fairness, equity and justice, adding that the political group must embrace selfless men and women.A communiqué issued by Prince Uthman Sodipe stressed that the country must strengthen the bond of brotherhood to galvanise sustainable development and prosperity, just as it backed the legal action initiated by the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the outcome of the February 23 polls.

The parley was attended by Chief Olabode George; Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele; Chief Okanlawon Soboyede; Elder Wole Oyelese among others.However, an Oyo High Court sitting in Ibadan has dismissed the suit filed by Senator Ayoade Adeseun and Sunday Adeyanju challenging the PDP primary leading to the emergence of the state’s Governor-elect Seyi Makinde.

Adeseun, who was Makinde’s opponent in the exercise held last October, claimed infraction in the delegates’ list and prayed that the process be voided.Ruling yesterday in the matter which began in January, Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu entered judgment in favour of the party and dismissed all prayers of the claimants for want of evidence.