Ekiti PDP: Court voids Fayose’s congress

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party from recognising the Governor Ayodele Fayose’s faction of the State Executive Committee.

Justice T.O Taiwo granted the order following a motion ex parte filed and moved by Niran Owoseni, the counsel for Chief Williams Ajayi and Ilesanmi Obe, who sued for themselves and on behalf of other members of their faction.

A copy of the order was obtained by our correspondent last night.

The defendants are INEC, the PDP, its National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff; Wale Oladipo (Secretary) and Gboyega Oguntuase.

On May 10, two parallel state executive committees had emerged in Ekiti State.

The faction loyal to the governor held its own congress at the Adetiloye Hall in the state-owned Fountain Hotel in the state capital, Ado Ekiti, where Gboyega Oguntuase emerged as the state chairman.

Another faction opposed to him held its state congress at the secretariat of Omo-Ilu Foundation in Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti.

The faction believed to be loyal to a leader of the party in the South-West elected Ajayi as its chairman and Obe as the Secretary.

Justice Taiwo granted “an order of interim injunction restraining all the defendants from according recognition to Oguntuase and his agents and privies or any other person claiming to be an officer of the PDP in Ekiti at ward, local government or state levels except those” in the faction of the plaintiffs.

The court also restrained the PDP from dealing with any group except that of the plaintiffs in conducting the affairs of the party in the state.

The judge also restrained INEC from recognising any step or action whatever taken by the Fayose’s men.

He further restrained Oguntuase and his faction from parading themselves as officers of the party pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The judge granted “an order directing the PDP, by its organs, officers, agents and servants including Sheriff and Oladipo to accept for the purpose of convening the national convention of the party only delegates elected at the congresses of the PDP in Ekiti State conducted in line with the constitution and guidelines of the party as listed in the result sheet and report exhibited to the affidavit in support” by the plaintiffs pending hearing and determination of the suit.