Musiliu Obanikoro, aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the December 8, PDP governorship primarieshas accused Jimi Agbaje, winner of the election and Olabode George, national leader of the party of having armedthugs loyal to them with gunsfor purposes of intimidating him and his supporters on the election day.
He stated this in a lawsuit filed before an Abuja high court. The former Minister of State, Defence alleged thatthe Police recovered some guns and live ammunitions from the thugs at the venue of the party primaries.
Obanikoro had polled 343 votes behind Agbaje who scored 432 votes.He approached the court to challenge the outcome of the election with allegation that the process that threw up Agbaje was manipulated.
Obanikoro is therefore praying the court to nullify the Primary election and order a fresh conduct of the disputed election.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge heeded to the prayers of Obanikoro’s counsel, Chris Uche,SAN and asked the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to appear before the court on December 23; but declined to grant a restraining order requested by the complainant.
The defendants are expected to make a case as to why an order of interim injunction should not be grantedto restrain Agbaje as the winner pending the determination of the matter.
In his deposition before the court, Obanikoro alleged, “That the thugs earlier brought by Chief Olabode George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje, a co-aspirant, at this point began to disrupt the venue by throwing bottles, stones and firing gunshots in the direction of the delegates loyal to me and preventing other delegates loyal to me from entering the venue.
“That the gunshots attracted another detachment of policemen, who engaged the thugs in a gun and teargas battle during which many of the delegates loyal to me ran for their dear lives to avoid being caught in the crossfire between the police and the armed thugs.
“That I know as a fact that many of my delegates who ran for their dear lives in the ensuing violence and gun battle never returned and were consequently disenfranchised as it took the police several hours to restore some semblance of normalcy.
“That I saw that the police recovered five guns and rounds of ammunitions and live cartridges from the thugs brought by Chief Olabode George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje , a co-aspirant.”
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