Ogun PDP Crisis Deepens As  Supreme Court Orders Retrial Of Its Governorship Suit

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State has remained unsettled following the Supreme Court order, dismissing an appeal filed before it on the nomination of the party’s governorship candidate.

The Apex Court held that the suit instituted by a governorship aspirant, Jimi Lawal, be remitted to the Federal High Court for a fresh trial.

Justice Ibrahim Saulawa in a judgment in the appeal of the PDP delivered that the Federal High Court was wrong in rejecting jurisdiction to hear the matter of Jimi Lawal.

Similarly, the Apex Court agreed with the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the FHC had jurisdiction under Section 285 of the 1999 constitution and Section 84 (14) of the Electoral Act 2022 to hear the matter of Lawal on its merit.

The Supreme Court, hence, ordered the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, in Abuja for determination by another Judge other than Justice Taiwo Taiwo who refused to entertain the suit.

Justice Saulawa in a unanimous judgment of a five-man panel of the Apex Court ordered that the FHC must speedily hear the case of Lawal against Oladipupo Adebutu and the PDP within time allowed by law.

Jimi Lawal who contested the May 25 governorship primary election of the PDP had challenged the emergence of Adebutu alleging that the unlawful delegates list was used by the party to conduct the election.