A legal practitioner and constitutional lawyer, Barrister Bimpe Olatemiju said that the exclusion of four aspirants from participating in Saturday’s convention of the People Democratic Party is a clear violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that of the PDP.
Olatemiju gave this hint in a statement he signed and made available to Journalists on Sunday over the exclusion of Eddy Olafeso, Professor Adewale Oladipo, Oke Muo-Aroh and Akintan Oludaisi from participating in elections into national offices of the PDP which is scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 30, 2021.
The human rights lawyer threatened to approach the court for the nullification of the convention if the PDP go-ahead to hold the congress in exclusion of the four affected aspirants whose fundamental human rights were violated according to him.
Recall that Starnews Nigeria had reported that the PDP screening committee led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, said on Saturday that it cleared 27 aspirants and barred four aspirants for the contest of national offices of the PDP ahead of the party’s convention.
Olatemiju said the PDP screening panel does not have the right to bar any qualified aspirants from contesting an election.
“You cannot disqualify qualified aspirants because of zoning arrangement or because they approached the court to seek interpretation of the party’s constitution. Nigeria constitution and the PDP constitution are very clear. The screening committee does not have the power to disqualify any aspirant on the reasons they had given to disqualify Dr Olafeso and three others.”
“I make bold to say the alleged exclusion of Dr Eddy Olafeso and three others in the party’s election will amount to wrongful exclusion, a clear violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a breach of the constitution of the PDP.”
“The violation of their fundamental human rights is an invitation to the outright nullification of entire Congress. I shall personally file an action to seek redress of the injustice without delay if the PDP appeal panel does not do the needful, the Lawyer said.”
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