#NigeriaDecides2023: Ondo PDP rejects House of Assembly results, as detained members sue IGP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has rejected the results of Saturday’s House of Assembly elections, saying it will challenge the outcome in court.

This is even as six members of the party have sued the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali, in court over their alleged maltreatment by men of the police force during the just-concluded elections in Ondo State.

They were said to have been illegally arrested and detained during the election.

The PDP members are Taoheed Jimoh, Kazeem Sumonu, Tayo Oyedeji, Hakeem Sanuni, Afelumo Peter, and Ademuwagun Ganiyu.

The suit was filed through their lawyer, Adetoye Akinsemoye, seeking the enforcement of their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.

Party spokesperson, Kennedy Peretei, said on Tuesday that the party had enough evidence that the elections were inconclusive in some constituencies while there were manipulations in some others.

“For us, the process is not concluded yet.

We have sufficient evidence that Ose is not conclusive. We also have sufficient evidence that some of the units in Odibgo Constituency 2 were manipulated,” he said.

Mr Peretei said the party’s lawyers were still studying the rest of the results and would take a final decision on Thursday.

By the official results declared by INEC, the PDP won only four of the 26 seats at the assembly while the APC won 22.

The seats won by the PDP are; Àkúré South Constituency 1; Akoko southwest constituency 1, Akoko South West Constituency 2 and Akoko Northwest constituency 2.

On the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Akure, the party chieftains joined a policeman, Faloni Felix, and one Bode Obanla as defendants.

The applicants alleged that they were arrested by the police on the instigation of Mr Obanla for alleged anti-party activities in Akoko Northeast local government area of Ondo state days before the March 18 House of Assembly election in the constituency.

Prayers

They sought “a declaration that the arrest, detention of the 1st Applicant from 15h day of March to 16th day of March 2023 is unlawful and constitutes grave violations of the Applicants’ rights to human dignity and personal liberty.”

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Also, they asked for “a declaration the threat to arrest, call invitation being issued by the 1st to 3rd Respondents on the instigation, motivation of the 4th Respondent is unlawful.”

Besides, the applicants prayed for “an order of this Honourable Court restraining the Respondents from arresting, issuing a further threat to arrest, regular calls to any of the Applicants in respect of allegation levied/reported by the Respondents.”

They prayed the court to issue an order directing the respondents to pay the first applicant the sum of N100,000 as general and exemplary damages on account of the grave breaches of the applicant’s fundamental rights to freedom of movement, personal liberty, and dignity of the human person, occasioned by the illegal and unlawful acts of the Respondents.

They further asked for an order compelling the defendants to release the mobile phone belonging to the first applicant which was forcefully impounded.

A part of the grounds of their suit, the applicants said as citizens of Nigeria, they deserved personal liberty and the right to personal dignity, and on no account in this circumstance, should their movement be curtailed.

The court fixed 22 March for hearing.