Court orders INEC, PDP to obey judgment on Ogun leadership

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered the Peoples Democratic Party to recognise the Adebayo Dayo-led executive in Ogun State.
Justice Mohammed Idris held that the executive’s tenure will not expire until May 2020.
The PDP in Ogun State has been embroiled in leadership tussle, leading to factions and crisis.
The suit was filed by a member of the PDP National Working Committee, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju; Ogun State Youth Leader, Femi Alao; national delegates for Sagamu and Ijebu North Local Government Areas, Idris Muniru and Chief Tuke Omotara; Chairman of Ijebu East LGA, Badejo Abiodun; and Chairman of Sagamu LGA, Kola Akinyemi.
They sued for themselves and on behalf of “PDP Ogun State Delegates to the National Convention”.
The defendants include the Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP, Tunde Odanye and others.
The plaintiffs urged the court to hold that there was a subsisting and binding judgment and orders of the Federal High Court in Lagos and Abuja delivered and issued on June 24, 2016 and on August 10 last year.
The plaintiffs said by virtue of the court verdicts, only they were entitled to attend and participate in PDP conventions.
They urged the court to restrain the PDP Caretaker Committee in Ogun State from usurping the plaintiffs’ functions as “authentic officers of the Ogun PDP Executive Committee” led by Chief Adebayo Dayo.
Justice Idris, in his verdict, dismissed the defendants’ objection on the ground that the plaintiffs are beneficiaries of the judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Buba in a suit no FHC/L/CS/636/2016.
Justice Buba had held that the tenure of the Dayo-led executive subsists until May 2020.
Affirming the judgment, Justice Idris directed INEC and the PDP (first and second defendants) to obey Justice Buba’s orders.
The court also nullified the congresses which were held in defiance to Justice Buba’s judgement and orders.
He held: “The decision of a court of competent jurisdiction is binding on all parties concerned until set aside by either Court of Appeal or the same court that made the order if found that it was made in error.
“I am not in agreement that the decision of my learned brother Justice Buba is in conflict with the decision of the learnt law lords of the Supreme Court.
“All objections are overruled.
“Parties are bound by the judgement of this court delivered by Buba J and everybody should obey a judgement of court until set aside.”
The court nullified the appointment of Odanye and others as Ogun State PDP Caretaker Committee, saying their appointment was contrary to Justice Buba’s judgment which affirmed Adeboyo Dayo-led executive.