The case instituted by Sen. Ayoade Adeseun challenging the validity of the primary election that produced Engr Seyi Makinde as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been struck out for lacking in merit.
Senator Hamzat Ademola Adeseun filled a case to challenge the emergence of Mr. Seyi Makinde’s emergence as the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
Two witnesses called by Adeseun’s counsel, Mr. Michael Lana, told the court presided over by Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu how they were allegedly brought in from Iwo local government in Osun state as fake PDP delegates to vote for Makinde during the September 30th gubernatorial primary held at the main bowl of Obafemi Awolowo stadium, Ibadan.
One of the witnesses, Maruf Alimi, told the court that he participated in the Oyo state’s PDP primary despite being a member of the All Progressives Congress at Iwo local government area in Osun state.
During the court proceeding which started in January 2019, the claimant’s counsel, Michael Lana, presented 14 witnesses, while the defendant’s counsel presented eight witnesses.
The presiding judge, Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu ruled in favour of the PDP, and dismissed all the grounds of the case.
The judge said, that Adeseun’s counsel could not prove with substantial evidence that the delegates list for the primary was doctored.
The judge said “he who asserts must prove. The claimants must provide the names that were removed, to prove that the list was doctored.”
