Group clears air over court order on PDP Southwest Zonal Exco

An Abuja based group, Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN) has described as mischief, insinuation that a Federal High Court in Lagos had nulified the election of former Governor oof Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni as the National Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other members of the party's Zonal Working Committee.

SRLN said; "as a group that is concerned with the sustenance of rule of law in the country, it felt obliged to clear the air on the court order, most especially because of its effect on party politics in the country.

The group National Coordinator, Comrade Chima Ubeku, who frown at the use of the courts by disgruntled politicians to put clogs in the wheels of political parties in the country, said the judiciary must beware of the danger of being used to cause chaos in the nation's political system.

The statement read: "We have read the court order granted by Justice O. E. Abang in Suit Number FHC/L/CS/282/2012 between Chief Dapo Soremi and others, and the PDP and five others, we which to state that the intent of the court order is not ambiguos. The order was simply about party delegates elected at the Osogbo Congress and not the Zonal Working Committee (ZWC), as being peddled.

"The order was; 'That the South West Zonal Congress of the Peoples' Democratic Party held in Osogbo Osun State on 21st March 2012 involving the election of delegates to the National Convention of the party is hereby set aside and accordingly nulified.

"From the above, it should be clear to even a layman that the court order only nullified the election of delegates at the zonal congress. Interestingly, national delegates were NOT elected at the zonal congress.

"Again it says: 'The election of officers at the National Convention of the 1st Respondent (PDP) involving only those that emerged as purported elected delegates from South West Zonal Congress of the 1st Respondent (PDP) is hereby set aside and accordingly nullified.' And we say again that no one was elected at the Oshogbo Zonal Congress to contest at the National Convention.

"It is therefore our advise that those affected by the court order should approach the court for an interpretation of the order before drawing any inference on it.

"This is necessary because as it is now, no delegate election took place at the South West Zonal Congress, and what we have is a court order, nulifying the Southwest Zonal Congress 'involving the election of delegates' to the National Convention of the party not nulifying the election of the Zonal Working Committee."