The Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo, the capital, has adjourned a suit seeking to nullify the congress that produced Senator Iyiola Omisore as the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Two state officers of the party – Alhaji Rasheed Mayowa and Chief Azeez Alakinde-Ismaila – filed the suit against Omisore.
They prayed the court to ask the party’s national body to stop organising any fresh congress in the state.
Insisting the tenure of the party’s exco will expire in 2020, following its inauguration in 2016, the plaintiffs are asked the court to restore the old executive status of the old party executive and recognise the primary that produced Kehinde Atanda as Osun SDP’s standard bearer.
Mentioning the case before Justice David Oladimeji, counsel to the plaintiffs, Olayinka Sokoya, moved an application seeking to cancel the factional SDP congresses of June 30, July 1 and July 7, on the premise they were conducted in disobedience to the court orders of June 29 and July 1.
The lawyer called for the reversal of all actions taken by the Dr. Bayo Faforiji-led executive.
He averred that until parties return to the status-quo, any application moved by the defendants cannot hold “because it will be difficult for you to disobey court orders and still return to the same court and expect to be heard”.
Sokoya said the factional congresses were the bedrock of the primary, which produced Omisore.
He added that it is like a Siamese twin difficult to separate.
SDP’s lawyer Kehinde Adesiyan opposed the application, insisting his clients have not disobeyed court orders.
He accused the court of unjustly refusing to entertain the lack of jurisdiction application he brought before it.
Omisore’s lawyer Adeyeni Adetise argued that his client had nothing to do with the suit.
The lawyer wondered why he was joined in the first instance.
He said: “He (Omisore) was not the one who conducted the congresses and he is not supposed to be part of this matter.”
The judge averred that since the suit is an election matter, the case should be treated with urgency.
He directed parties to ensure that all applications and processes are filed and served without delay.
Justice Oladimeji adjourned the continuation of hearing of the matter till August 7.
