Segun Atanda/
Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State have asked the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting the name of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the party’s governorship candidate.
In a suit filed at the Osun State High Court on Monday, they sought an interlocutory order setting aside the election of Adeleke who was the first defendant in the matter, arguing that he did not satisfy the constitutional requirements to contest the governorship election.
In separate 29-page affidavits of extreme urgency deposed to by the two applicants, Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu with several exhibits attached, the duo claimed Adeleke did not possess School Leaving Certificate as required by Section 177 (d) of the 1999 constitution.
While urging the court to restrain the PDP from submitting and presenting his name as governorship candidate in 2018, they also asked the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting his nomination.
The plaintiffs also attached a copy of Adeleke’s detailed results of the West African Examinations Council’s General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level examination of May/June 1981 at Ede Muslim Grammar School, Ede with Centre No. 19645 and examination number 149.
Olabayo claimed in his affidavits that, “I know as a matter of fact that the 1st defendant attended Ede Muslim Grammar School, Ede but did not leave with a School Leaving Certificate, having absented himself from the school leaving examinations but for English where he scored a failing mark of F9″.
They claimed that if the Adeleke’s name is presented, PDP will be disadvantaged and left without a valid and eligible candidate given that he did not possess a School Certificate Level Education and thus lacks the requisite qualification to be “so presented let alone contest the 2018 Osun State Governorship Elections”.
Idowu in paragraphs 22 and 23 of his affidavits explained that their submission before the court contained serious and fundamental issues, while noting that the defendants will not be prejudiced is the application succeeds as the 1st defendant can always produce his School Leaving Certificate and present himself for election “if he indeed he has one as the last day of withdrawal by candidates and replacement of withdrawn candidate by political parties is 8th August 2018”.
In his written address in support of the motion on notice and the originating summons, the applicants’ lawyer, Barrister Olufemi Ayandokun, cited relevant laws and authorities and urged the court to grant the plaintiffs prayers, saying no injustice will be done to the defendants if the application is granted “but rather the course of justice will be better served”.
The hearing has been fixed for tomorrow, before Justice David Oladimeji of the State High Court, Osogbo.
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