Court Sacks Ex Gov. Oyinlola As National Secretary Of PDP

http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/44771/2013/01/11/update_court_sacks_oyinlola_national_secretary_pdp.html

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Ogunsoye Oyinlola, to vacate the position.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Abdul Kafarati held that the election of Oyinlola to the position was a ``flagrant violation of two court orders’’.

 Kafarati said that evidence existed before the court that two separate orders from a court in Lagos dated 27/4/2012 and 2/5/2012 ordered stoppage of the conduct of Congress that made Oyinlola as South West candidate for the post.

``The court is convinced that those orders were given based on the pendency of a suit against the nomination of the second respondent (Oyinlola) to via for the position.

``The action of those officials who went ahead to conduct the congress was criminal and against the rule of law and they could have been committed to prison.

``Oyinlola is to immediately stop parading himself as the National Secretary of the PDP,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Chief Adebayo Dayo and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo filed the suit against Oyinlola, PDP and INEC on behalf of the Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP.

The plaintiffs sought the determination of the question whether the candidacy of the third defendant (Oyinlola) as a nominee of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his subsequent election into the office were valid.

The plaintiffs further sought the determination of a question whether the candidacy of Oyinlola’s election to the position of National Secretary at the National Convention of the party in March 2012 was invalid.

According to them, the candidacy of third defendant is not recognized by the South West Zone of the PDP.

They further said that the zone had no inputs in the nomination and subsequent election of Oyinlola to the position, adding that position was zoned to the area in accordance to the constitution of the party.

Former Osun State Governor; Olagunsoye Oyinlola has appealed the judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court invalidating his election as the National Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party today.

A statement released in Abuja shortly after the judgment by his Principal Secretary, Mr. Femi Adelegan explained that Oyinlola is seeking a stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of his appeal for the setting aside of the ruling of Justice Coram Abdulkafarati.

Oyinlola contends, among others that the Judgment is against the weight of evidence and that the learned trial Judge erred in Law when he overruled the Preliminary Objection to the jurisdiction of the court and assumed jurisdiction and delivered Judgment when the 1st Defendant/Appellant and the 2nd Defendant/Respondent, against whom the principal reliefs are sought, are individual and a political party who are neither Federal Government nor an agency of the Federal Government.