The group of aggrieved candidates of the 2023 general election seeks judicial intervention by instituting a suit against some party leaders, including Chief Bode George, former PDP’s Deputy National Chairman, over alleged anti-party activities.
The group which comprises 24 candidates who vied for elective positions. The group is led by Otunba Segun Adewale, PDP candidate for Lagos West Senatorial district.
The suit, filed by the group before the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court and dated March 26, 2024, is against the PDP (the first defendant) and six others, including George and Kofoworola Bucknor (BOT members).
Others include Philip Aivoji, Lagos PDP chairman, PDP Lagos executive; Adedeji Doherty, ex-Lagos PDP chairman; and the Lagos LGA PDP Chairmen Forum.
The case, with suit number FHC/L/CS/534/24, was filed on behalf of the group by Omoniyi and Adeleke Law Firm (Primus Chambers) of 15 Alafia Street, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo.
The suit read in part:
“Our submission is that as a party leader, you cannot be a party leader of two political parties at the same time; hence, you cannot promote candidates of two parties at the same time.”
“The principle of first defendant’s political party does not allow its members to belong to any other group or groups that is not governed by its constitution.”
“We humbly pray the court holds that considering the evidence exhibited before this court, the activities of the second to seventh defendants constitute party offences that must attract sanctions.”
“This in line with Articles 59 (4) and (5) of the first defendant’s constitution,” said the suit.”
“The plaintiffs sought for an order of the court in mandating and directing the first defendant to sanction, specifically expel the second to the seventh defendants from the party for offences and anti-party activities.”
Meanwhile, speaking at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos, the group called on the national leadership of the party to sanction all those who worked against the fortune of the party and its candidates at the 2023 general elections in Lagos.
The group leader, Adewale, aka Aeroland, said that the group took the step to strengthen democracy further and ensure that those entrusted with party and public positions were held accountable for their actions and inactions.
Adewale stated that it is demoralising and disheartening for members to spend their hard-earned money to buy nominations and expressions of interest forms with huge amounts, only for the leaders to work against the candidates during elections.
Adewale, a former Lagos PDP chair, stated that the alleged leaders flagrantly disobeyed the party’s constitution, which they all swore to uphold.
He said that these leaders openly worked for the ruling party while still superintending over PDP elections.
Adewale disclosed that they wrote to the PDP national leadership in April 2023, complaining about the development but nothing was done.
He said the group was seeking an explanation as to why the party collected money for forms and made them waste their time and resources campaigning, only for them to ask the people not to vote for them.
He said “and made us waste our time and resources, only for them to ask the people not to vote for us but we never got any response from them till date.”
“All efforts to get any response from them till date on why such action was taken yielded no fruit.”
According to him, nobody from the party has deemed it fit to call them either for an explanation or even sympathise with them on their loss “though it was engineered by the actors of the party.
He said that apart from instituting a suit to compel the National Working Committee to expel all the actors who openly worked against PDP candidates, the group was also asking the court to compel the party to pay damages.
“We believe that this case will reshape the behaviour of the leaders of our party as we are determined to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they bear the consequences of their actions.
“We believe that this suit, though relatively new, will further strengthen our party and give hope to those who will be coming after us,” he said
“We have no where else to go that to approach the court to get justice, because the party demanded administrative fess from us as candidates and we paid, so where go at our back and work against us”? Adewale asked.
