2018 Osun Guber Race: Show Your Certificate – Court Orders Adeleke
- Lawmaker speaks as PDP members kick
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The governorship ambition of Senator Ademola Adeleke on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State may have ran into stormy waters with an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo ordering him to produce his certificate before the court on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 for scrutiny
The court order comes on the heels of aggrieved party members’ suit challenging the eligibility Senator Adeleke to contest the September 22, 2018 gubernatorial election.
The legal tussle is for an interim order setting aside results of the PDP’s governorship primaries that produced Adeleke, popularly called the ‘Dancing Senator’.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court for an injunction restraining the opposition PDP from presenting Senator Adeleke’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its standard flag-bearer for the election.
However, the Senator Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation (SAACO) described current happenings as a non-issue with calls on every party member to support the gubernatorial candidate for the common good of Osun State and the PDP.
Senator Adeleke, who represents Osun West district in the National Assembly, had polled a total of 1,569 votes to narrowly defeat his rival Dr Akin Ogunbiyi with 1,562 votes at the PDP primaries that took place on Saturday, July 21, 2018.
Addressing journalists at the PDP secretariat on Thursday, Director of Media and Public Affairs, the SAACO, Olawale Rasheed said those throwing unsubstantiated claims around are free to approach the Secondary School attended by Adeleke for verification.
Rasheed stated that; “On the issue of school certificate, Section 177(c) of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 317 for interpretation on educational requirements for the office of the Governor are very clear and unambiguous. Senator Adeleke is eminently eligible and qualified to seek the office of a governor.
“The school, Ede Muslim High School (Formerly Ede Muslim Grammar school) he attended still exists in Ede, his hometown. We challenge those asking questions to go to the school and find out if he attended and finished at the school or not between 1976 and 1981.”
When the case came up again for mention on Thursday, July 26, the presiding judge, Justice David Oladimeji said the ex-parte injunction has only seven days lifespan, noting that the window is open till August 8, according to the affidavits sworn to by the applicants.
He also said that; “being an election matter, it is my conviction that the public will not be uninterested in the proceedings of this court”, explaining that the importance of the matter would make the court not to grant the injunction.
In warning the parties against taking any further step on the matter without the court’s express permission, Justice Oladimeji adjourned the motion on notice till Wednesday, August 1, 2018 for definite hearing.
He cautioned that the court would not tolerate any form of excuse from the litigants in the case.
