Guber ticket: Odds favour Adebutu in Ogun PDP

• Published date: 14 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

'Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, writes on the unending legal fireworks over the 2023 governorship ticket in the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

HON. Oladipupo Adebutu, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Remo Federal Constituency of Ogun State, barring new developments, is on his way to being on the ballot for the March 11 governorship election in the state after months of uncertainties occasioned by several court cases instituted by aggrieved governorship aspirants and other party chieftains to challenge his emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial flag-bearer in Ogun State. The development has thrown the troubled party into and endless round of crisis ahead of this year's general elections.

The embattled PDP candidate again inched closer to his dream of once again running for the governorhsip on the platform of the opposition party last Wednesday when the Supreme Court in Abuja, dismissed two appeals brought before it by Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal, a claimant to the governorship ticket of the PDP in Ogun state. Lawal is challenging the nomination of Adebutu as the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State. The two appeals were dismissed by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun following their withdrawal by the appellant's counsel, Chukwudi Enebeli.

An initial suit instituted by Jimi Lawal challenging Adebutu's nomination had earlier been dismissed at both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. This cleared the way for Adebutu to fly the banner of the PDP at the March 11, 2023 governorship election in the state. Adebutu, who enjoys the backing of the National Leadership of the PDP, had rejoiced over the verdicts as he renewed his efforts towards the governorship contest. However, displeased with the verdicts of the lower courts, Lawal had challenged the use of the Court Record transmitted by another party and the procedural policy in accepting and using the disputed record.

But a 5-man panel of Justices of the Apex Court subjected the appellant's counsel to questioning on the desirability of pursuing interlocutory appeals at the expense of the substantive matter. The Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun informed the counsel that the court has no luxury of time to expend on interlocutory appeals before coming to the substantive matter.

The panel also drew the attention of the lawyer to the fact that the appellant's appeal is time-bound and must be tackled at the substantive level instead of dissipating energies on the interlocutory ones. Subsequently, Enebeli applied for withdrawal of the appeals. The Court directed the counsels to proceed with how to get the substantive matter brought before the court within the time allowed by law. With these, Adebutu's supporters are optimistic that his candidacy...