Edevbie: Mahmood, PDP Natn’l Chairman, Others Risk Jail Term For Not Obeying Court Order

By Dafe Rukevwe

For failing to recognize Olorogun David Edevbie as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP , in Delta State, the party’s National Chairman, Mr. Iyorchia Agu and Legal Adviser, Mr. Adeyemi Kamualdeen, may be on their way to prison.

Official court papers sighted by this reporter, warned the duo to immediately obey the court orders and recognize Edevbie.

Recall that Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sherifff Oborevwori won the said primaries, but an Abuja Federal High Court disqualified him.

Edevbie had dragged Oborevwori to court, saying that the Speaker is not fit to contest over discrepancies in his academic certificate and after coming second in the primaries he should be declared the party’s flag bearer.

Although the court ruled in Edevbie’s favour, his name and particulars were not uploaded by the PDP.

Meanwhile, Oborevwori’s supporters say that the court judgment in Edevbie’s favour had no consequences because Oborevwori approached an Appeal Court on the matter.

While Oborevwori’s supporters are optimistic that he will be the party’s flag bearer, pro-Edevbie members of the PDP say Oborevwori is out of the race.

The Official court documents released on Saturday warned PDP and INEC to immediately recognize Edevbie as the authentic candidate.

“That unless you obey the directions contained in the order of the Federal High Court dated the 7th day of July, 2022, you will be guilty of CONTEMPT OF COURT and will be liable to be committed to prison,” the court said.

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According to the official documents, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and INEC National Legal Adviser, Mr. Festus Okoye Esq, also risk prison sentence.

INEC in a letter to the PDP had drawn the attention of the party to the judgment order of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja that said Edevbie was the authentic guber candidate. But, PDP failed to publish Edevbie’s name alongside other guber candidates that were published, saying that they await the case at the Appeal Court.

But, while PDP at the national level opined that the party had a candidate in the person of Oborevwori, the party’s chairman in Delta, Kingsley Esiso said they would await the Appeal Court judgment to know who the party’s candidate is.