Adedibu denies receiving court injuction on congress - As police warn PDP against violence in Ibadan

By Tope Abiolas - 04.03.2008

Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, has said the party did not receive any court injunction restraining it from holding its last Thursday state congress.

Chief Adedibu, speaking through one his aides, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarunmi, said the party was not given any injunction by any court official in the state. Speaking in a telephone conversation with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, he said the congress was legitimate and conducted according to the constitutional provisions of the party and Nigeria.

But the state Resident of the National Electoral Commission, Mr Steven Maya, said he received the injunction at 8.00 a.m on Thursday, adding that that was why his officials did not go to supervise and monitor the election. Another chieftain of the party, Senator Lekan Balogun, however, advised the Ibadan politician, Chief Adedibu, to to respect the rule of law by accepting that the congress was null and void.

Balogun said for Adedibu and his lieutenants to claim that they did not receive the court injunction which was served on them by court bailiff and widely reported by the media, their action to go on with the ‘illegal’ congress has confirmed that he does not have respect for the rule of law.In a related development, Oyo State command of the Nigeria Police has warned members of the PDP in the South West to shun any act of indiscipline capable of facilitating violence in the state today.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune the Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Bisi Okuwobi said that the police was ready to ensure that the political gladiators do not take laws into their hands in the state as they hold the Zonal Congress of the party in Ibadan today.