By Mayowa Olumuyiwa
The federal high court in Abuja has dismissed the suit challenging the candidacy of the governor of Ondo state, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
According to the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, the petitioner, Dr. Nat Adotutelegan filed the case out of time. He made this submission on Wednesday morning.
In addendum, Justice Abang said that the suit was a pre-primary election matter because of its dependence on a pending suit.
He however maintained that the case was subsequently dismissed as lacking merit and the cost of N120,000 be awarded against Dr. Adojutelegan.
Findings by KaftanPost correspondent revealed that Adojutelegan who, along with others, lost the primary election to Akeredolu, had earlier challenged the result.
In the suit, the plaintiff alleged that the exercise was marred by a grave and substantial noncompliance with the spirit and purpose of the APC’s Constitution, Electoral Guidelines and the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), which in his argument, “substantially affected the outcome of the primary election.”
He said the delegates’ list used for the primary violated section 87 (7) and (8) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), Article 20 (iii) and (iv) (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the APC Constitution 2014 (as amended) and Electoral Guidelines.
Reacting to this development, the Ondo State Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Engr. Ade Adetimehin said, “the Court case against Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN candidature had been dismissed for lack of merit.”
