Ogun PDP crisis: INEC recognises Kashamu’s faction, shuns Obasanjo’s

The controversy as to who is in control of the machinery of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party seemingly appears to have been settled as the Independent National Electoral Commission has accorded recognition to the Buruji Kashamu-led faction of the party.
The Commission has given recognition to the parallel primaries conducted by the Kashamu-led faction of the party.
INEC, in a letter signed by its Secretary‎, Augusta Ogakwu, and sent to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, explained that the recognition of Buruji’s list was based on two previous orders in a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The other faction, led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, also conducted its own primaries.
The Buruji faction had instituted a suit Nos. FHC/L/CS/1266/2012 – Chief (Engr.) Adebayo Dayo & ANORS Vs. INEC & ORS; and FHC/L/CS/347/2012-Chief (Engr.) Adebayo Dayo & ANORS Vs. PDP & ANORS in Re-Application for committal of PDP and 4 ORS.
The court had earlier restrained the PDP from dissolving the Adebayo Dayo-led executive in Ogun State.
The letter from INEC to Mu’azu reads in part: “The Federal High Court in Lagos made orders in respect of the above suit. The court restrained the commission from accepting nomination of candidates of the PDP from Ogun State for the 2015 general elections, except that they emerge from primaries conducted by the plaintiffs.
“The court further restrained the commission from according any recognition whatsoever or accepting as valid, processing and or publishing any other list of PDP candidates, except such list of candidates elected at primary of PDP conducted in Ogun State by the applicants-Chief (Engr.) Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State Executive Committee of the party. You may wish to be guided accordingly.”
It would be recalled that Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Lagos had restrained the National Working Committee of the PDP from according any recognition or accepting as valid any primary for next year’s election except those conducted with the ad hoc ward delegates list.
The court also restrained INEC from accepting as valid any such primaries or publishing any list other than the ad hoc ward delegate list prepared by the Adebayo Dayo-led executive.
The judge granted an ex-parte application by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, allowing them to serve the alleged contemnors with the motion on notice for committal outside Lagos, such as in Abuja and Ogun State.
Justice Abang had directed PDP and INEC to ensure that the primaries in Ogun State for the election of candidates for the 2015 election were conducted only with the ad hoc ward delegate list.
The plaintiffs alleged that the respondents had been attempting to remove them from office, despite two Federal High Court judgments affirming the legality of their positions.
The judge had warned that he would not tolerate any disobedience of his orders by anybody.