2023 Election: Drama as Court Asks Plaintiff to Pay N6m to APC, Powerful Governor Separately

2023 Election: Drama as Court Asks Plaintiff to Pay N6m to APC, Powerful Governor Separately

  • A federal high court in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, has slammed N2m joint cost in favour of APC and its governorship candidate in the state, Dapo Abiodun
  • Sherifat Eweje has dragged Abiodun and the APC before the court, challenging the result of the party's primary in 3 different suits
  • However, the court established that Eweje lacks the locus standi to challenge the primary she did not participate in, among other reasons

Abeokuta, Ogun - Dapo Abiodun, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state, has been freed of 3 cases instituted to challenge his victory at the party’s primaries on May 26.

A federal high court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital dismissed the 3 files, The Nation reported.

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Dapo Abiodun/APC/Ogun state/2023 elections
Court dismisses three cases against Abiodun, APC Photo Credit: Prince Dapo Abiodun
Source: Facebook

For various reasons, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the cases for lack of standing to be sued to lack of jurisdiction, incompetence, frivolity, an academic exercise and being statute barred

The litigant also received a “joint cost” of N2 million, which was awarded in favour of APC and its candidate in each of the 3 cases.

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Why did court order plaintiff to pay Dapo Abiodun, APC N12m?

The suit was instituted by Sherifat Eweje against the APC and Dapo Abiodun.

But the judge says a person who did not participate in a primary election for an office has no right to challenge the outcome of the primary election in court.

The court stated that Eweje was contesting for a legislative seat, not the governorship race.

The judge made it known that Eweje withdrew from the race on May 10, which was before she filed the suit and before May 26, when the primary governorship primary was held.

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The latest about APC, Abiodun

The court then concluded and declared that the plaintiff lacked locus standi to institute the case.

The judge said that the suit is barred because it was filed more than 14 days after the primary.

Consequently, the court declared the suit incompetent and struck it out, describing all other issues raised in the case as academic issues since the court has no jurisdiction.

2023 Elections: List of governors contesting for second term in office and their chances

Legit.ng earlier reported that no less than 11 sitting governors will be contesting for second terms in the 2023 governorship election.

Some of these governors have a high chance of winning their re-election bid with little or no itch.

However, others could face tough challenges in the 2023 poll due to one challenge or the other confronting them in their states.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Bada Yusuf (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Yusuf Amoo Bada is an accomplished writer with 7 years of experience in journalism and writing, he is also politics and current affairs editor with Legit.ng. He holds B.A in Literature from OAU, and Diploma in Mass Comm. He has obtained certificates in Advance Digital Reporting, News Lab workshop, Journalism AI Discovery. He previously worked as Editor with OperaNews. Legit’s Best Editor of the Year for Politics and Current Affairs Desk (2023). Contact: bada.yusuf.amoo@corp.legit.ng