Dissolution of party exco: Ogun PDP governorship aspirant heads for Appeal Court

Otunba Segun Sowunmi

By Damilola Ajibola

One of the leading governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ogun State, Hon. Segun Sowunmi, has appealed against the judgement of an Ogun State High Court, that struck out a suit filed by him seeking dissolution of the state party executives.

News Contact Online recalls that Sowunmi approached the lower court over a statement credited to a co-contestant in the race, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, who was quoted to have said that his nomination and expression of interest forms were purchased by the state exco.

In the suit, the governorship aspirant had asked the court to dissolve the entire state executives on the ground of being biased.

He also urged the court to grant an interlocutory injunction restraining the exco from conducting the ward and state congress.

In his judgement, Justice A.A Akinyemi, dismissed the suit filed by  Sowunmi on  

lack of jurisdiction.

Sowunmi in his notice of appeal, claimed that, the judge “was in grave error when he held that only the Federal High Court can exercise jurisdiction in redressing the appellant’s complaint.

“That the trial judge erred in law when he held that the proper parties who would be affected by the decision of the court were not before the court, and as such the court is robbed of jurisdiction to entertain and adjudicate upon the same, denying the appellant fair hearing and thereby occasioned a serious miscarriage of justice.”

He also claimed to have written the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, seeking the dissolution of the state executive over alleged violation of their oath of office.

Sowunmi accused the state exco of the party of being baised and compromising the process of the forthcoming governorship primary election of the party. 

Sowunmi in the later, dated, Friday, May 20 and made available to journalists in Abeokuta yesterday, warned that, if the exco is allowed to conduct the primary election, it would amount to “nugatory” and a situation whereby the party may not have a candidate at the 2023 general elections.