A former Chairmanship aspirant in the just concluded National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Taoheed Adedoja has filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking for the sack of the winner, Prince Uche Secondus and the nullification of the convention.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, Prof Adedoja, a former Sports and Special Duties Minister stated that the declaration of a zero-score credited to him embarrassed and maligned him “and brought great ridicule” to his political career built over the years
He stated that he was not contesting the result of the convention but that there was an error in his name on the ballot paper.
In a suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1225/2017 filed on his behalf by Messers Rickey Tarfa & CO, the aspirant “appeal the court to declare? the election of national chairman of PDP held at Eagle Square in Abuja on December 09, 2017, null and void;
His points of argument include “Pray the court to declare as null and void any document submitted by PDP or by the purported occupier of the position of the national chairman to INEC;
“Pray the court for the cancellation of the national chairmanship election held on Saturday, December 09, 2017 at Eagle Square Abuja;
“Pray the court to order the conduct of another elective National Convention for the election of national chairman within 30 days of nullification of the elective national convention held on December 09, 2017;
“Restrain INEC from recognising Uche Secondus as National Chairman of PDP on the ground that the election where Uche Secondus was declared national chairman of PDP, where I was unlawfully excluded from the list of the contestants for the position of national chairman of PDP which is a flagrant violation of the Electoral Act, the constitution of PDP, the guidelines for the conduct of PDP National Convention and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Defendants in the suit are chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee and Secretary, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Dr. Ibrahim Umar respectively, the new PDP Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, his name is Prof. Taoheed Adedoja but not “Prof. Taoheed Oladoja” as was written on the ballot papers used for the convention.
He said he drew the attention of Governor Okowa to the error in his name who promised to make the necessary correction but nothing was done.
According to him, “I have suffered psychological trauma as a result of the public ridicule the election result has caused me, my family members, friends and associates
“My lawyers are demanding for appropriate compensation for damages, ridicule, embarrassment and disrepute brought to my name as a result of my willful exclusion from participating in the election resulting to zero (0) score credited to my name which is now in public domain.