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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed a Court of Appeal judgment affirming the nomination of its governorship candidate for the Osun State election but has announced support for Accord Party candidate and incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke in Saturday's poll.
In statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the nomination of Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola as the PDP governorship candidate submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership.
According to the party, the appellate court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately include the PDP logo on the ballot for the August 15 governorship election.
The PDP said the court ruled that its governorship primary was validly conducted under INEC's supervision and that the name of the winner had been duly forwarded to the electoral commission.
It added that the court held that the nomination portal access code was merely an administrative requirement and could not override the legal provision requiring political parties to submit the names of their candidates to INEC.
Despite describing the judgment as a legal victory, the PDP said the ruling came too close to the election, leaving its candidate with no meaningful opportunity to campaign.
The party accused INEC of acting with bias by refusing to recognise its candidate after monitoring the primary election and withholding the portal access codes required for candidate upload.
According to the PDP, the commission's actions created unnecessary obstacles that undermined its participation in the election.
Following consultations with party stakeholders, the Interim National Working Committee said it had resolved to support Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party in the interest of strengthening opposition politics and safeguarding Nigeria's multi-party democracy.
The party noted that Adeleke was a former PDP member who left the party because of what it described as leadership disputes fuelled by external interference.
It therefore directed its members and supporters across Osun State to vote for Adeleke in Saturday's governorship election.
The PDP also urged voters to come out in large numbers, protect their votes and ensure that the outcome of the election reflected the will of the people.
The party further alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was determined to secure victory through unfair means, urging Nigerians to resist any attempt to undermine the democratic process.
The statement stressed that credible elections must reflect the freely expressed choice of voters, warning that any outcome contrary to the people's mandate would be unacceptable.
