2023: PDP rejects fresh party primary in Ogun, suspend members 

The national executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has refused to acknowledge a fresh primary election conducted by a group loyal to an aspirant of the party in Ogun State, Jimi Lawal.

The party dissociated itself from the primary election through a disclaimer sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and obtained Eaglesforesight.

The disclaimer reads: “We write to draw the attention of the Commission to a purported primary election conducted by some persons claiming to be State Executive Members of our party, allegedly held on Monday, 17th October 2022, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital,” the PDP stated in a letter to INEC by Iyorchia Ayu and Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s national chairman and secretary respectively.

“This is coming days after the 14 days ordered by the Federal High Court for the party to conduct a fresh primary election.

“The 14 days ordered by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta division within which the party was to conduct a fresh primary election lapsed on Tuesday, 10th October, 2022, and no fresh primaries was conducted in Ogun State, the party having resolved to go on appeal and rightly so.

“This, being our position, we were surprised to read both on print media and online media that some persons claiming to be part of a faction of the party conducted a fresh primary on behalf of the party on Monday, 17th October, 2022, 7 days after the 14 days ordered by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta division which the party appealed against has lapsed.”

The Ogun State chapter of the party have subsequently suspended Mr Lawal and four others for organising the “illegal primary.”

Recall that last month, a Federal High Court in Abeokuta nullified all the primary elections earlier held by the PDP including the one that produced Ladi Adebutu as the gubernatorial candidate, asking the party to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days.