The Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital has dismissed a suit challenging the qualifications of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The presiding judge, Justice Bolaji Adegoke, held that the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi, who challenged the qualification of the APC’s candidates, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his running mate, Olaiyide Adelami lacked locus standi to file the suit.
Justice Adegoke also held that the case filed by Ajayi and the PDP is barred by statute as it was filed outside the 14 days required by the Electoral Act.
She also held that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit, having filed it through originating summons instead of a writ of summons.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi, had filed the suit challenging the qualification of Olayide Adelami for alleged multiple conflicting and irreconcilable names on the certificates he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
However, counsel to Adelami, Remi Olatubora had argued that the grievance of the plaintiffs is not about discrepancies in the name but the order or arrangements of the names.
Justice Adegoke consequently ruled that the plaintiff failed to prove the allegation of forgery against the APC deputy governorship candidate, Olayide Adelami beyond reasonable doubt.
(Editor: Okechukwu Eze)
