•Segun Sowunmi
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Segun Sowunmi, has filed a legal action before the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to stop the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) from further acting in their capacities, following their alleged violation of the party’s constitution.
Sowunmi, who is also an ex-aide of Vice President Atiku Abubakar and spokesman of the PDP during the last general elections, is asking the court to compel the Damagum- led NWC to hold the mandatory National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party, reports The Guardian.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/70/2024, Sowunmi accused national leadership of the party of hampering its fortune in future elections by failing to hold the NEC meeting to enable its members review the party’s activities, take critical decisions and plan for future polls.
The plaintiff, in the suit filed by his lawyer, Anderson Asemota, named Damagum, PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Nature (National Organising Secretary), Okechukwu Daniel (National Auditor), Ahmed Yayari (National Treasurer), Muhammed Kadade (National Youth Leader) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as co-defendants.
In a supporting affidavit, Sowunmi stated that since the party participated in the last governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states, reports of the polls have not been presented to the party as required.
He added that elections are coming up in Edo and Ondo states, and the party needed to also plan and prepare ahead, saying: “The preparation and planning can only be done at the meeting of the members of the NEC.”
The applicant is also asking the court to take a judicial notice of the fact that: “There are other critical issues which the party needs to discuss during the NEC meeting.”
Sowunmi wants the court to declare among others, that under and by virtue of the provisions of Articles 31(2)(4)&(5) of the PDP and Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the 1st to 7th defendants are obligated to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the NEC of the PDP the meeting of the NEC of the PDP at which the defendants shall present proposed guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to the party offices at all levels, and procedure of selecting party candidates for elective offices to members of the NEC.
