Osun Election: Court Strikes Out Suit against Omisore’s Candidature

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, has struck out the suit challenging Senator Iyiola Omisore’s candidature on the platform of the
Social Democratic Party (SDP), in the forthcoming September 22, 2018 governorship election.
Justice David Oladimeji had earlier adjourned the matter to yesterday for judgment after counsel to the parties in the suit had made their submissions.

Two state officers of SDP, Alhaji Rasheed Mayowa and Chief Azeez Alakinde-Ismaila had gone to court, asking that the national body of the party be stopped from organising any fresh congress in the state on the grounds that the former congress held in 2016 produced the executives whose tenure would expire by 2020.

The plaintiffs also argued that the congress which produced  Omisore as the party’s candidate was illegal having being conducted contrary to two respective court orders.
The applicants’ lawyer, Mr. Olayinka Sokoya told the court that the matter was beyond the internal running of the party but was premised on the constitution of the party.

Sokoya urged the court to sack all the executives elected by the factional SDP congress led by Dr. Bayo Faforiji and declare all actions taken by them so far, including the primary it conducted, which produced Omisore as unconstitutional.
He asked to court to fully restore all powers back to the Chief Ademola Ishola-led executive, which produced an Iwo indigene, Mr. Kehinde Atanda as the governorship candidate.

Counsel to the SDP, Mr. Kehinde Adesiyan asked the
court to dismiss in its entirety all the applications filed by the applicants, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first instance.

Omisore’s lawyer, Mr. Adeyemi Adetife, while aligning himself with Adesiyan explained that his client has nothing to do with the suit, and wondered why he would be joined in the matter before the court.

Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Vilba Kinta explained that as an umpire in election matters, the body has nothing to do with the internal problem of the party.

However, the applicants were said to have filed application for withdrawal of the suit after intervention by some stakeholders.
When briefed about the settlement out-of-court, Justice Ola dimeji struck out the suit.