March 27, (THEWILL) – A group of aggrieved candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections in Lagos State has prayed the Federal High Court in the State to direct the Party to sanction some party leaders, including a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, over alleged anti-party activities.
The group, comprising 24 candidates, led by Otunba Segun Adewale, the PDP candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District in the 2023 elections, filed the suit before the Court on Tuesday.
Dated March 26, 2024, the suit has the PDP (the First Defendant) and six others, including Bode George, Sen. Kofoworola Bucknor (BOT members); Mr Philip Aivoji, Lagos State PDP Chairman; PDP Lagos State Executive; Mr Adedeji Doherty, Former Lagos PDP Chairman; and the Lagos State LGA PDP Chairmen Forum.
Marked FHC/L/CS/534/24 and filed on behalf of the group by Omoniyi and Adeleke Law Firm (Primus Chambers) of 15, Alafia Street, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State, the suit read in part: “Our submission is that as a party leader, you cannot be a party leader of two political parties at the same time; hence, you cannot promote candidates of two parties at the same time.
“The principle of the first defendant’s political party does not allow its members to belong to any other group or groups that are not governed by its constitution.
“We humbly pray the court holds that considering the evidence exhibited before this court, the activities of the second to seventh defendants constitute party offences that must attract sanctions.
“This is in line with Articles 59 (4) and (5) of the first defendant’s constitution.
“The plaintiffs sought for an order of the court in mandating and directing the first defendant to sanction, specifically expel the second to the seventh defendants from the party for offences and anti-party activities.”
Meanwhile, the group, at a news conference on Wednesday, in Lagos, called on the National leadership of the party to sanction all those who worked against the fortune of the party and its candidates at the 2023 general elections in Lagos.
The leader of the group, Adewale, said the group took the step to further strengthen democracy and ensure that those entrusted with party/public positions were held accountable for their actions and inactions.
According to him, it is demoralising and disheartening for members to spend their hard-earned money to buy nomination and expression of interest forms with huge money, only for the leaders to work against the candidates during elections.
“We emerged as the candidates of the party in our respective constituencies, and the party duly submitted our names to the INEC as candidates for the elections. Having gotten this guarantee from both the national and state arms of our party and upon the release of our names by the INEC to participate in the elections, we went to town to campaign.
“We were buoyed with the belief that we were not alone in the struggle to actualise our dreams, since we have our party structure and party leaders who had sworn to uphold the constitution of the party.
“As the election days drew closer, this belief started disappearing as we started hearing rumours that some key leaders of our party, including the State Chairman, were making clandestine moves to work against us.
“We believe that this case will reshape the behaviour of the leaders of our party as we are determined to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they bear the consequences of their actions.
“We believe that this suit, though relatively new, will further strengthen our party and give hope to those who will be coming after us,” he said.
Adewale said the group was seeking an explanation as to why the party collected money for forms “and made us waste our time and resources, only for them to ask the people not to vote for us but we never got any response from them till date.”
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