A governorship hopeful in Ogun State, Segun Showunmi, has reacted to Tuesday’s Abeokuta Federal High Court judgment nullifying all the primaries conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
In a statement on Wednesday, Showunmi said, “the judgement has nothing to do with the lawsuit I instituted against the party in the state seeking the dissolution of the leadership of the party, while also asking the court to bar them from conducting the 2023 primaries over allegation of bias.”
According to a statement made available in Abeokuta, Showunmi urged his supporters not to worry about the judgement of the Federal High Court.
While describing the judgement as another bold move to strengthen democratic ideals, he said it would ensure that the choice of the party’s candidates was not handpicked by just a few but by larger party members eligible to do that under the electoral act.
Showunmi maintained that the case he filed at an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta against the Sikirulahi Ogundele party executive was dismissed for lacking in jurisdiction; stating, however, that an Abuja Appeal Court had ordered that the case be heard on merit.
Showunmi enjoined his followers to keep hope alive and never stop mobilising support for the victory of PDP both at the state and national levels.
He expressed confidence that “the court will soon serve the much awaited justice as I remain sincerely set to redefine governance in the state.”
some members of the PDP in Ogun had gone to court to challenge the delegate lists used during the PDP primaries that produced Oladipupo Adebutu as the party’s governorship candidate and others.
In his judgement, Justice O. O. Oguntoyinbo annulled all the PDP primary elections and ordered that fresh ones be conducted within the next 14 days.
But, Showunmi held that his primary election was different from the one that produced Adebutu, saying he was still in the race.