Three chieftains of the ruling Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State have dragged the incorporated trustees of the party and its stakeholders to the Federal High Court, Akure over alleged selection of party executive in the 18 local government areas of the state.
The plaintiffs, Messrs Benson Adeyelu, Omosehin Deji and Tayo Akinmosi are seeking an order of the court restraining the ‘selected LP executive from being sworn in by the leadership of the party.
They also prayed the court to restrain the new party executive from parading themselves as elected officials of the party.
Also joined in the suit are the state chapter of the LP, its state Chairman, Chief Dele Akinyele and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State.
The plaintiffs argued that “in the originating summons brought pursuant to order three of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, the act of the defendants selecting persons to occupy executive positions in the LP across the wards and local governments in the state under the cloak of party congresses is null and void.”
Besides, the three aggrieved LP chieftains stressed that the alleged selection of the party executive contravened relevant laws relating to election of party executive, adding that the development also violated the rights of the plaintiffs and numerous members of LP in the state.
The plaintiffs prayed the court to compel the defendants to conduct a valid congress reflecting the spirit of the constitution of the LP and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
They maintained that the action of the defendants in selecting party officers in the 18 local government areas through the purported congress amounted to gross violation of the LP constitution.
The LP leaders noted that the leadership of the party in the state had, through the selection, deprived other members their right to contest for available offices as provided for by the party’s constitution.

Crisis brews in Ondo LP, as chieftains drag party to court