Supreme Court orders retrial of peoples democratic party governorship suit in ogun state
The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has, ordered a retrial of a suit instituted by Otunba Jimi Lawal, a governorship aspirant on the dispute over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Ogun State.
Penpushing reports that, the judge, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, who delivered the lead judgement on Monday said the Federal High Court was wrong in declining jurisdiction on Laval’s case, as the Supreme court agreed with the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the High Court has jurisdiction under section 285 of the 1999 Constitution and section 84 [14) of the Electoral Act 2022 to hear the suit on its merit.
The judge consequently ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja for determination by another judge other than Justice Taiwo Taiwo who declined to entertain the case.
Penpushing further reports that, Taiwo who is now retired judge of the Federal High Court, in his judgment delivered on 29 July, declined to hear Lawal’s case on its merit, and based his decision on the grounds that Peoples Democratic Party( PDP’s) primary election was a domestic affair.
The Governorship aspirant, Lawal, who contested primary of the party on May 25, 2022 had challenged the emergence of Adebutu alleging that an unlawful delegates list was used by the party to conduct the election.
Penpushing also reports that, Lawal prayed that the purported primary election be cancelled and another one be conducted with the authentic delegates list, while it is recalled that the controversial emergence of Hon Dipo Adebutu as the party Governorship flagbearer has been enmeshed in legal cases.
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