The governorship ambition of Ademola Adeleke, a front runner in the Osun 2022 gubernatorial election, may have suffered a setback following a court ruling disqualifying him as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate.

A High Court sitting in Ijebu-Jesa area of the state, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission and PDP not to recognise him as the party’s candidate for the July governorship election in the state.

The same court, presided by Justice Adeyinka Aderigbigbe, had earlier ruled on the validity of delegates qualified to vote, and ordered the governorship primary election be conducted by the 215 wards executive in the camp of factional candidate, Dotun Babayemi.

In an exparte motion by one Adedokun Ademola and 29 others on March 3, the court noted that only the 215 wards executive, in line with another court judgement, were qualified to vote in the primary exercise.

The court averred that the primary election conducted by the National Working Committee of the party was null and void, being in disobedient to the judgement of November 22, 2021, recognising the 215 wards executive.

This was contained in a certified true copy of a Mandatory Interim Injunction ordered by the court on March 9 and made available to journalists on Friday.

The court, therefore, adjourned the case till March 16 for further hearing, while ordering INEC and PDP to recognise Dotun Babayemi as the valid candidate of the party pending the determination of the suit before it.