The Project Director, Jimi Adebisi Lawal Campaign Organization (JALCO), Austin Oniyokor has reacted to the Appeal Court victory of the Ladi Adebutu’s team.
Mr Oniyokor said the Legal team of JALCO is taking steps to file a stay of execution of the judgment, as well as Notice of Appeal, as they are set to seek redress at supreme court.
He urged their supporters, delegates and other party members to remain resolute and steadfast, adding that the matter is not over
The legal team assures that it is certain that Jimi Lawal would eventually win.\
The Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan restored Oladipupo Adebutu as the validly elected governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.
The court also reinstated the three senatorial candidates, nine House of Representatives and 26 House of Assembly candidates who all emerged from the primaries of the party conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice O O Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, had on September 27 voided the primaries which produced Adebutu and others, directed the conduct of fresh primaries within 14 days.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the PDP through its counsel, appealed the verdict and asked the Appellate Court to set aside the lower court decision.
In the same vein, Adebutu also affected by the judgment of the lower court filed an appeal against the judgment of Justice Oguntoyinbo.
Delivering judgment in the appeal in Ibadan, Justice Nimpar Yargata said the trial court fell into error by nullifying the primaries which produced Adebutu, having been conducted by the NWC of the party.
Yargata said the Taiwo Olabode Idris and others who instituted the case at the lower court were not aspirants of the party and consequently had no locus to challenge the outcome of the primaries.
The Judge declared that only the NWC of the party and not the State Working Committee has the power to conduct primaries as spelt out in Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution
