A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) in its acceptance of nomination of candidates from the state’s Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming Local Government election.
Justice Charles Achibong, while ruling on two ex-parte applications from 2 aggrieved applicants, Adebayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, specifically restrained OGSIEC, its agents and officials from dealing with any other persons or groups except the plaintiffs pending the determination of a pending motion for committal.
The judge also restrained OGSIEC from publishing or processing any manner or for any purpose any list of names or persons submitted to it as candidates of the PDP for the state’s 2012 Local Government elections by any other person or group of persons except the plaintiffs, pending the determination of the motion on notice for committal.
Also restrained are Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, Alhaji Korede Lawal, Alhaji Bisiyu Adekanmi, Mutiu Agboke, Oyediran Aina, Kolawole Odesanya and Adetokunbo Williams ( described the moving minds of OGSIEC).
By the court’s interlocutory orders made on Thursday, OGGSIEC and its agents or officials are restrained from accepting candidates’ nominations from any other groups or persons including Ireti Oniyide, Tunde Oladunjoye and Faisiu Bakenne except the plaintiffs, who sued for themselves and on behalf of the State’s Executive Committee of the PDP.
Justice Achibong, while granting leave to the plaintiffs to serve all processes in the case on the defendants outside jurisdiction, also granted them leave to serve OGSIEC, Oniyide, Oladunjoye and Bakenne (cited as alleged contemnors in the motion for committal) by delivering court processes on an adult persons within the premises of their addresses.
The judge granted the plaintiffs leave to serve Form 48 – notice of consequences of disobedience of court order – and all other processes in the suit on the National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party(PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; the National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the party’s National Auditor, Bode Mustapha (who was sacked by the court earlier judgment).
Justice Achibong has fixed June 25 as the re-run date.
The plaintiffs are by the committal proceedings, seeking to commit the alleged contemnors to prison for allegedly disobeying the court’s judgment given on May 2nd this year.
