The faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abubakar Baraje on Saturday faulted the judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court which a day earlier, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to strike out Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s name from its records as national secretary of PDP and replace it with Professor Wale Oladipo.
In a statement signed by the faction’s national publicity secretary, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, which described the judgement as shocking and a miscarriage of justice, the group claimed that Oyinlola was never served any notice of the court process before the judgement by Justice Abdul Kafarati in the suit filed by the Ogun State chapter of PDP against the former Osun State governor.
However, Oyinlola, who is the national secretary of the Baraje-led PDP, is still in court appealing the judgment that sacked him from office earlier this year.
The statement reads, “The Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led PDP wishes to condemn this obvious and glaring miscarriage of justice as the judgment was given in spite of the pendency of Prince Oyinlola’s suit over the subject matter at a superior court of competent jurisdiction – the Federal Court of Appeal Abuja.
“We wish to inform Nigerians that Prince Oyinlola was never served any court processes before the judgment was delivered.”
It stated further that “The judgment, unfortunately, dishonours the Court of Appeal and His Lordship’s pronouncement on the subject matter negates procedures outlined in the Constitution of the PDP for the emergence of the party’s National Secretary.
“We see the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man and a defender of the weak against the strong. We therefore wish to appeal to the Judiciary not to indulge itself in anything that may tend to give the contrary impression.
“We, meanwhile, appeal to our supporters and to all PDP members to remain calm as arrangements are being made to appeal this judgment and ensure that justice is done in this matter.”
