Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and factional governorship candidate of the party, Prince Dotun Babayemi, have bickered over litigation against the candidature of governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
Parallel primaries had produced Senator Adeleke and Prince Babayemi, but the party recognised the governor-elect as the candidate of the party.
Babayemi challenged the candidature of Adeleke, which he lost at High and Appeal courts, but he vowed to seek redress at the Supreme Court.
A statement by the Caretaker Chairman of the Osun PDP, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, cautioned the factional candidate, saying: “Enough is enough”.
He said Babayemi must stop further legal action if truly he is a genuine member of the party.
The PDP chairman held: “The party specifically frowned at apparent attempt by the aspirant to become a tool of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to truncate the overwhelming victory of PDP at the governorship poll, declaring that such treachery is an exercise in futility.”
He said the party not only duly authorised the primary, the right delegates participated at the right venue with right statutory supervision, while a valid court order equally mandated the holding and organisation of the governorship primary.
However, Babayemi’s Director of Campaign Organisation, Oladiran Ojedele, insisted that the factional candidate was out for justice with a view to claiming his mandate.
According to a statement: “The redress currently being sought at the law court by Babayemi, its touch bearer, is not to truncate the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the recently concluded governorship election in Osun State, but to ensure it translates to good governance.”
“Our symbol, Omooba Dotun Babayemi, is not seeking to truncate PDP’s victory. He’s out for justice, seeking to claim his mandate at the law court. Is such lawful trajectory out of place? For all those who are now crying wolf, what genuine efforts did they make to ensure the PDP is not exposed to litigation?
“Subtle blackmail by the party’s Caretaker Committee chairman that Babayemi has become a tool of the APC won’t deter him from pursuing a legitimate cause.
“We will like to inform the whole world that Omooba Babayemi has continued to pursue the good of the PDP at every level of engagements; he has continued to invest his time and money for its success and the good of the people of Osun State.”