Senatorial bid: PDP members drag Kashamu to court

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State have dragged the Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate for Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, asking it to disqualify him from contesting in the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections.The two members are Dele Ajayi of Ward 08 in Ijebu North Local Government Area and Saula Wasiu of Ward 003, Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.They are asking the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising Kashamu as the candidate of the PDP for Ogun East Senatorial District in the forthcoming National Assembly elections.In the suit numbered FCH/AB/CS/19/2015, they are also asking the court “to disqualify Kashamu from any other future elections to be conducted by INEC, joined as the third respondent in the suit, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”Ajayi and Wasiu also prayed the court for a second order of interlocutory injunction restraining Kashamu from contesting as the candidate of the PDP for Ogun East Senatorial District or in any future elections organised by INEC.The motion on notice dated February 23 and a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Abeokuta on Thursday, was supported by a 15-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one of the applicants, Ajayi.Also, in the originating summons dated February 23, the two applicants in their claims were seeking a declaration of the court that Kashamu “is not qualified for nomination to contest election as candidate of the 2nd Respondent or any registered political party in Nigeria and not eligible to participate in the March 28, 2015 National Assembly Election or any future elections conducted by the 3rd Respondent.”They claimed that Kashamu should be disqualified from contesting the elections “by virtue of the provisions of Section 66 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution, having been charged and/or convicted of an offence involving drug trafficking and fraud.”They also claimed that having been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty, Kashamu was not qualified for nomination as the candidate of the PDP or any other party and therefore, not eligible to participate in the March 28 election.The PDP members were also seeking a declaration of the court to disqualify Kashamu from contesting the election “having presented forged or no certificate to INEC.”They were further seeking an order “setting aside and/or nullifying the nomination of the 1st respondentas the 2nd respondent’s candidate for Ogun East Senatorial District.”The PDP members also prayed the court for an alternative declaration that the legitimate candidate andwinner of the Ogun East Senatorial District election conducted by INEC “is the next other candidate who filed and submitted nomination form to apply for and was screened by the 2nd respondent for its primaries for Ogun East Senatorial District” if Kashamu wins the election.The hearing of the motion on notice has been fixed for March 4, 2015 by the court.