*Awards N100, 000 costs against APC, 3 others
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
With few hours to the February 25 polls, the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday, dismissed a suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and three others to disqualify the Labour Party (LP) House of Representatives candidate for Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency, Mr Adesoji Adedeji, from contesting the Saturday’s National Assembly election .
Justice Uche Nma Agomoh in his judgement, said there was no evidence before the court to support the case of the plaintiffs and consequently dismissed the case for being academic, stale and lacking in merit.
The judge awarded a total cost of N100, 000 against APC to be paid N50, 000 each to Adesoji’s counsel, Sunday Aborisade and the lawyer for Labour Party, Kehinde Yekini and as well also cleared Adedeji Adesoji to contest in Saturday’s election, having been validly nominated by the Labour Party.
Justice Agomoh on the issue of locus standi of the plaintiffs to file the suit raised by Aborisade, agreed with him that those who filed the suit have no business doing as they are not members of the Labour Party, describing them as “meddlesome interlopers and busybodies” who engaged themselves in what does not concern them.
On the issue of the suit been filed out of time, the judge also agreed with Adedeji’s lawyer that pre-election matters are sui generis and that the case should have been filed within 14 days of the occurrence of the action the plaintiffs complained of.
New Nigerian recalled that in the suit filed on September 30, 2022 APC alongside other plaintiffs, namely Ajani Josiah, Chief Adewale Sunday, Adesiyan Semiu, claimed that Adedeji was nominated by Labour Party and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in violation of Sections 30, 34 and 35 of the Electoral Act.
The plaintiffs asked the court for an order to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bar Adesoji from participating in Saturday’s election, having been purportedly nominated by two parties with the court earlier striking out an application for extension of time filed and moved by the counsel for the plaintiffs.
