Appeal Court Upholds Candidacy Of Adefarati

The controversy surrounding the emergence of Adegboyega Adefarati as the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akoko South West and Akoko South East federal constituency in the just concluded general elections has been put to rest on Wednesday as by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital upheld his emergence....CONTINUE READING

The appellate court in a unanimous judgement confirmed Adefarati’s candidacy, holding the lower court erred in its judgement which nullified the party’s primary which declared Adefarati as the winner…..CONTINUE READING

Earlier, a Federal High Court sitting in Akure had nullified the party’s primary, declaring that it had no candidate for the 2023 House of Representatives election in the federal constituency, thereby restraining Adefarati and the party from parading himself as the standard bearer of the party in the election.

Approaching the appellate court to challenge the judgement, Adefarati and contested the February 25, 2023 election and the party was declared the winner of the election.

However, in a unanimous judgement read by Justice Yusuf Bashir, the Court of Appeal said that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit because the originating summon was not properly signed.

Justice Bashir submitted that it was a wrong practice to commence the suit with originating summons rather than by writ of summon.

He submitted that the high court ought not to have entertained the suit therefore lacked jurisdiction and locus.

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that two aspirants of the party in the primary election for the constituency, Segun Ategbole and John Adanike, had dragged Adefarati and the party to court challenging Adefarati’s victory.

Moreover, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the election, removed Adefarati’s name from the published list of House of Representatives members-elect.

In the February 25, 2023 general election, Adefarati polled 25,872 votes while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Gbenga Kolawole scored 18,403 votes.

Giving reasons for the delisting the son of former Ondo governor Adebayo Adefarati, INEC said it was due to the court order that invalidated the party’s primary, which produced him as the candidate for the constituency.

Adefarati’s attorneys, Chief Olusola Oke SAN, Alhali Kabir Ajana,SAN and Barrister Yinka Orokoto commended the court’s verdict…..CONTINUE READING