The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu and his running mate, Adekunle Akinlade names were missed in the list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday.
The commission also left out the names of the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP), Kehinde Shogunle and his running mate, Dr. Aishat Lawal Keshiro on the list.
INEC released names of 13 political parties and their candidates in the final list pasted at the commission’s office in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The commission cited “court order” as a reason for omitting the names of PDP candidates on the list.
A Federal High court sitting in Abeokuta, had nullified all the primary elections conducted by the PDP in the state.
Three members of the party: Taiwo Olabode Idris, Kehinde Akala and Alhaji Ayinde Monsuri had dragged the party, Adebutu and INEC to court challenging the authenticity of the delegates’ lists used for the conduct of the primaries.
The presiding judge, Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo in his judgement had ordered the party to conduct fresh primaries within the next 14 days.
The court also barred INEC from recognising Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.
The plaintiffs contended that the persons on delegates’ list used by the electoral panel for the primaries were not democratically elected at the ward, local government and state congresses, hence the panel “cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily impose” the list on the party for the primaries.
About four suits had been filed against Adebutu.
Two of the suits were filed by former aspirants – Segun Showunmi and Jimi Lawal, while three PDP members – Taiwo Olabode Idris, Kehinde Akala and Alhaji Ayinde Monsuri, also filed another suit challenging the delegates’ list used in the conduct of the party primaries.
The fourth suit against the PDP candidate was filed by the ruling APC.
The ruling party had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, seeking the disqualification of Adebutu and his running mate, Adekunle Akinlade, over alleged breach of the electoral act.
Other parties that have their candidates listed for the 2023 governorship race include ADC, SDP, NNPP, NPM, PRP, ADP, APC amongst others.
