Osun: After victory, Adeleke’s camp worries over litigation, woos PDP faction
Despite his victory in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, Ademola Adeleke may still be keeping sleepless nights over litigation issues.
The camp of the Osun State governor-elect is worried over a suit filed by his rival in the Peoples Democratic Party’s primary, Prince Dotun Babayemi, at the Court of Appeal, Akure.
Members of the group, in separate interviews on Monday, admitted that the suit constituted danger to the PDP’s victory at the Osun State governorship election on Saturday, adding that the party had begun reconciliation with Babayemi.
Members of Adeleke camp who spoke to The PUNCH included Osun acting PDP Chairman, Dr Adekunle Akindele; the Director of Media, Osun State PDP, Oladele Oluwabamiji, and the Secretary of the PDP Legal Committee, Hashim Abioye.
It was gathered that Adeleke’s camp was concerned that the external forces could exploit the case to truncate the party’s victory.
The PDP in Osun State had on March 8 conducted two governorship primaries featuring Adeleke and Babayemi.
While the primary which was held at the Osogbo City Stadium, under the supervision of Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, produced Adeleke, Babayemi was declared the winner at the primary held at the Children and Women Development Centre, Osogbo.
Consequently, Babayemi headed for the Federal High Court in Osogbo seeking to be declared the valid governorship candidate of the PDP.
But the court in a judgment by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel affirmed Adeleke as the validly elected governorship candidate of the Osun State PDP.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Babayemi filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Akure, challenging the judgment of the lower court and seeking to be declared as the PDP governorship candidate.
The Director of Media of the Osun State PDP, Oluwabamiji, noted that all aggrieved party members constituted danger to the PDP victory, adding that no opportunity would be given to external forces to exploit the situation.
Oluwabamiji said, “My take is that any member of our party that is aggrieved is constituting some kind of danger, not to mention court cases.
“Grievance of major gladiators is enough as admittance of danger. I am aware that our leaders are not sleeping over it. They are still talking to Prince Dotun Babayemi and others in the party, not minding our victory at the polls. We are always better together. We are not taking anyone for granted.
“We believe everyone should come on board now so we can have a seamless administration; so that we can deliver our promises to the good people of Osun State. You know we cannot do that on the platform of rancourous relationship as a political party.”
Expressing confidence that Babayemi would yield to sound reasoning, the party chieftain said efforts are ongoing to pacify the factional governorship candidate.
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