An Abuja Federal High Court has dismissed a suit challenging the validity of the primary election that produced Rotimi Akeredolu as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the Ondo State governorship election.
The court presided by Justice Iyang Ekwo in a judgment held that the suit instituted by Olajumoke Anifowose was statute barred having been filed outside the 14 days allowed by law for a pre-election matter.
Anifowose had in the suit filed on her behalf by her counsel Adesina Oke, contended that section 87 of the Electoral Act and Article 20 of the APC Constitution were violated in the primary election by the state executive committee and local government committee that conducted the election.
The plaintiff had asked the court to declare the primary election as invalid and to bar INEC from recognising governor Akeredolu as the APC governorship candidate.
Anifowoshe also prayed the court to stop the APC from admitting governor Akeredolu name as it’s governorship candidate.
The court upheld the preliminary objections by the governor and APC, who argued the suit was incompetent.
Justice Ekwo noted that the governor was nominated by APC on July 20th and the plaintiff filed the suit on July 29th which fell within 14 days required by law, but the suit became incompetent due to withdrawal of the initial originating summons and its substitution on August 20th.
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