ABEOKUTA: A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Wednesday adjourned till October 29, a suit marked FHC/AB/CA/144/24, seeking an order declaring as invalid, null and void the selection and nomination of Dr. Olusola Akinbode as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the November 16 local government elections in Ogun State.
The suit followed the compilation of the candidates’ list by the APC, compelling an aggrieved aspirant who alleged lack of due process in the manner the chairmanship candidate(Dr. Akinbode) emerged in Yewa North Council, to approach the court for redress.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State reportedly submitted the names of its 20 chairmanship candidates for the local government elections to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) recently.
According to Vanguard, the party listed Hon. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo as the party’s chairmanship candidate for Abeokuta North Local Government, while Hon. Afeez Balogun is the chairmanship candidate for Abeokuta South Local Government.
Others are Dr. Akinbode Olusola (Yewa North), Barr. Tunde Ogunsola (Yewa South), Hon. Sikiru Adesina (Ewekoro), Hon. Olalekan Kushimo (Ifo), Hon. Adesina Ogunsola (Obafemi-Owode), Hon. Folashade Adeyemo (Odeda), Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde (Ijebu East), Hon. Bolaji Odusanya (Ijebu North), Hon. Foluso Badejo (Ijebu North-East), Hon. Dare Alebiosu (Ijebu Ode), and Hon. Jamiu Ashimi (Ikenne).
Also listed are Hon. Babatunde Diya (Odogbolu), Hon. Ganiyu Odunnaki (Ogun Waterside), Hon. Muyiwa Sodade (Remo North), Hon. Afolabi Odulate (Sagamu), Hon. Wasiu Lawal (Ado Odo-Ota), Hon. Theophilus Aremu Olorode (Imeko Afon) and Hon. Avoseh Johnson (Ipokia).
The candidates’ list was said to have been submitted to OGSIEC following its ratification by the APC State Executive Committee during a meeting attended by the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and party leaders.
The Daily Crucible reports that not satisfied with the situation in Yewa North, the aggrieved aspirant headed to the court.
In the originating summon dated October 7, 2024, the aspirant and member of the APC, Engr. Gbenga Akinwande (the plaintiff), is challenging the selection and nomination of Olusola Akinbode as the Yewa North Council chairmanship candidate of the APC.
Also dragged to the court alongside Akinbode are the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), which were listed as first and second defendant.
The plaintiff wants the court to determine among other issues, whether the submission by the 1st defendant of Olusola Akinbode to the 2nd defendant (OGSIEC) as its nominated candidate for the Yewa North Council chairmanship election is not in breach of relevant provisions of the electoral Act and constitution of the APC.
The plaintiff also wants the court to give order for the removal Olusola Akinbode’s name as candidate for the chairmanship election and put his (plaintiff) name as the valid candidate of APC for the Yewa North Council chairmanship election slated for November 16.
The plaintiff claimed that Olusola Akinbode(3rd defendant) did not participate in any selection or nomination process of the APC, adding that the manner he emerged as the party candidate for the LGA chairmanship seat in the forthcoming November 16 local government polls did not follow due process, APC guidelines and electoral laws
When the case was mentioned on Wednesday, October 16, before Justice Jordan Adeyemi of the Federal High Court 2, Abeokuta, the defendants were absent and they also did not send lawyers to represent them while John Gbenga Apanishile announced appearance as counsel for the plaintiff.
In the absence of the defendants and their counsel, Justice Adeyemi adjourned the matter till October 29 for further mention and hearing.
Speaking to the press after the court session, the plaintiff’s counsel, Chief Gbenga Apanishile, said: his client is challenging the nomination of an individual as the chairmanship candidate whereas the person was not properly screened or nominated.
He said, “Despite the party’s initial commitment to a transparent primary election process, they completely disregarded the aspirants who participated in the screening, only to nominate someone who did not take part in any of the primaries.
“My client and about seven other people who are from Ayetoro zone underwent the screening process with the Committee which was appointed by the party for that purpose, that committee ended up not taken any meaningful decisions.
“Such a Nomination is liable to be nullified, if this happens, the effect of it is that , unless the party conduct another primary election, so that they can have a candidate that will be vying.
“If the OGSIEC as expected follows the law, if he court so hold that the name of that was submitted as candidate should be removed from the list of contesting candidates, it could put All Progressive Congress to the risk of not having a candidate vying for that position.”
