A Federal High Court sitting in Akure has restrained the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Ondo State from dissolving the elected executive officers of the party in the Ondo East Local Government Area of the state.
The state chapter of PDP had dissolved the Ondo East chapter of the party over alleged anti-party activities during the governorship election that produced Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as the winner.
However, some members of the party from the local government who were dissatisfied with the decision of the party, led by Ifedayo Fredrick Olaniyan, approached the Federal High Court challenging the legality of the action of the state chapter of the party.
The development worsened the crisis rocking the party in the state over the outcome of the 2020 governorship election in the state, while the aggrieved members dragged the leadership of the party to the court.
In the suit filed by Olaniyan and 17 other plaintiffs through their lawyer, Mathew Burkaa SAN, prayed the court to restrain the leadership of the party both at the state and national levels from tampering with the local executive chapter of the party,
The court had earlier granted an interim order barring the dissolution of the local chapter of the party.
The suit has as defendants, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National leadership of the party, Abuja and the Fatai Adams led state executive committee of the party.
While the plaintiffs were represented by Bukaa the governorship candidate of the party in the 2020 election, Mr Eyitayo Jegede represented the party, urging the court to vacate the order and dismiss the suit in its entirety.
But the court presided by Justice D.U. Okorowo after hearing Jegede and Burkaa ordered that the application of the defendants to vacate the earlier orders made on April 13 to strike out the entire suit is hereby refused.
Justice Okorowo ordered that the earlier orders made on April 13 which stated that parties are ordered to maintain status-quo antebellum still stand and fixed the judgment on the substantive suit to June 6.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
