By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA – The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Friday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, as the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the November 26 governorship election Ondo State.

The court, in a ruling delivered by ‎Justice Okon Abang, made the order to reinforce a verdict it earlier gave on June 29, which recognised the Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the PDP.

The said judgement had directed INEC to only deal with the Sherri-led faction instead of the Ahmed Markafi-led group.

Jimoh Ibrahim

The litigants had approached the high court, praying it to compel INEC to include Ibrahim’s name in the list of candidates for the impending election‎.

They contended ‎that the action of the electoral body, in publishing the name of Eyitayo Jegede who emerged from primary election that was okayed by the Markafi-led faction, amounted ‎to contempt of the subsisting court order.

In his ruling, Justice Abang ‎agreed with the plaintiffs that the earlier order having not been set aside by a higher court, remained valid.

He therefore ordered INEC to only recognise the nomination of Jimoh as gubernatorial candidate of the PDP for the election.