Appeal Court validated my candidacy, says Adebutu

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu has said that the recent decision of the court of Appeal, Ibadan authenticated his candidacy. 

Responding to the claim by his rival, Senator Buruji Kashamu that the recent court decision did not affect his (Kashamu’s) candidature, Adebutu said the judgment nullified all other judgments being paraded by Kashamu. 

According to him, the Appeal Court judgment declared the Federal High Court order as nullity and also went further to establish that the plaintiffs in the suit at the lower court (Engr. Bayo Dayo & others) do not have any ‘locus standi’ to file a suit in an electoral matter as they are not candidates of the party, because they did not contest in the primaries conducted by the party.

His words: “With the Appeal Court judgement that nullified the Federal High Court order and the other orders that are non-substantive, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will have no choice than to accept the list of candidates submitted by the National body of the Party.”

He pointed out that although INEC had on October 25, wrote the National body of PDP stating the reasons for accepting the list presented by Dayo group in which the Federal High Court order was the main condition, the electoral body had also stated that once the order is vacated it will not relate with the Dayo group again. He explained further that the Supreme Court had quashed the two orders being paraded by the Kashamu faction. 

“On the other two orders being paraded by this group of people, the Supreme Court had given a judgment that supersedes that of the lower courts and gave authority to the National Convention of the Party to decide and rule over the party affairs. 

“By this Supreme Court judgment which came after the Federal High Court orders, the National body of PDP dissolved the nine controversial State Chapters and conducted fresh Congresses in all of those states including Ogun State. That Congress led to the emergence of Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele led Exco and there was no contention,” he stated.  

Adebutu who described the decision as victory for democracy, praised the people of Ogun State and the judiciary, saying the judgment was a reflection of how sincere and diligent “our judiciary system is as the last resort of the common man and its strong support to the success of our democracy.”