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The decision of an
Abuja court to strike out a suit on the legality of the executive of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State was to prevent the
abuse of court processes since the same matter is before an Ibadan High
Court, counsel to a faction of the party, Adeniyi Akintola, has said.

Mr Akintola
described as ‘erroneous’ the interpretation given to the verdict by a
local media that the court had validated the party’s executive council
in the state.

He said the
opposition leader, Lekan Balogun, was not aware of the existence of the
Ibadan suit earlier instituted by the other party, saying the Abuja
court had to strike out the case because the one filed in Ibadan
preceded it.

The state’s media
regaled its audience with news of the Abuja court decision last week,
but with the impression that the court had cleared the executive of the
allegation of illegality hanging on its neck since its inception.

Mr Akintola noted
that the news misled the public, saying the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) had also maintained that the state
executives of eight states, including Oyo, were mere sham as their
emergence did not comply with the provision of law.

“The present INEC
cannot be intimidated by any party and any party that feels otherwise
is doing so at its own peril and my candid advise for the ruling party
in Oyo State is to tread the path of honour by doing that which is
right, so that other parties will have not have undue advantage over
it,” he said.