Atiku’s ally Sowunmi, Adebutu face hurdles as court axes PDP guber primaries

A federal high court in Abeokuta, Tuesday, nullified the parallel governorship primaries and ordered fresh one, to held within 14 days, by the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state.

The development effectively stops the governorship hopefuls, including Segun Sowunmi, who is being backed by former vice president Abubakar Atiku, and Ladi Adebutu. Two factions of the party had thrown up both candidates but at different primaries.

Jimi Lawal, a governorship aspirant, had filed a suit before the court to contest the delegate list that the Sikirulahi Ogundele (the faction chairman of the Adebutu group) used during the primary, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential library.

Other candidates had also approached the court to challenge the authenticity of the Sikirulahi Ogundele-led state executive of the party in the state.

In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, O.O. Oguntoyinbo, the presiding judge, annulled all the PDP governorship primaries done in the state.

The court ruled that the primaries conducted didn’t follow the principles of the electoral act.