A Federal High Court in Lagos has
fixed April 8 to rule in a suit praying
for the nullification of the Lagos
State All Progressives Congress
governorship candidate, Akinwumi
Ambode.
Governorship election holds on April
11.
The plaintiffs – Olorunfemi
Oluwatosin and Dada Joseph- are
seeking an order of perpetual
injunction to restrain the
Independent National Electoral
Commission from allowing APC to
field any governorship candidate for
the governorship poll in Lagos.
The plaintiffs’ argument is that the
party’s primary that produced
Ambode as the APC governorship
candidate was fraught with and
predicated on irregularities.
According to them, inasmuch as
delegates from the 37 Local Council
Development Areas of Lagos were
allowed to participate in the APC
ward congresses, the outcome was
null and void.
The plaintiffs argued that in line
with the provisions of the
Constitution and the Electoral Act,
the party ward congress was meant
to be conducted only in the 20
existing local government areas in
the state.
Besides, they argued that the non-
use of open ballot system during the
ward congresses was u not
procedural and illegal.
In their originating summons, which
was filed shortly before the APC
ward congresses last year, the
plaintiffs, who are members of the
party, had asked the court to
restrain all the aspirants from
participating in the primary.
Apart from the APC and INEC, other
defendants in the suit are all the
aspirants that contested against
Ambode. They include Senator
Ganiyu Solomon, Dr. Leke Pitan, Akin
Ambode, Tayo Ayinde and Olasupo
Shasore.
Others are Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mrs.
Tokunbo Agbesanwa, Dr. Tola Kasali,
Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Lanre Ope,
Tokunbo Wahab, Adekunle Disu and
Abayomi Sutton.
The APC had in response to the
plaintiffs’ claims filed a preliminary
objection.
The party is contending that Justice
Mohammed Yunusa lack jurisdiction
in the matter and that the plaintiffs
have no locus standi to institute the
action.
The party maintained that inasmuch
as the plaintiffs did not participate
in the primary, they had no legal
right to complain about the manner
in which it was conducted.
It added, “The conduct of the ward
congresses for Lagos State
gubernatorial primary nomination
was done in the constitutionally
recognised 20 Local Government
Areas in Lagos State and not in the
37 Local Council Development Areas
as alleged by the plaintiffs.
“The plaintiffs have not disclosed
any injury that the conduct of the
ward congresses in the 20 Local
Government Areas and 37 Local
Council Development Areas has
caused them, either individually and
or collectively.”
The party described the plaintiffs’
case as academic, malafide, an abuse
of court processes and one that was
targeted at embarrassing the party.
It therefore asked the court to
immediately dismiss the suit.
http://www.punchng.com/news/court-rules-on-ambodes-candidacy-april-8/