Aggrieved Ogun politicians challenge Lagos Senator’s victory in court

Some aggrieved politicians have sued a Lagos West Senator, Olamilekan Adeola, asking the court to stop him from parading himself as the winner of the All Progressives Congress primary in Ogun West Senatorial district.

Adeola was declared the winner of the APC Ogun West Senatorial ticket after he defeated the current senator representing the district, Senator Tolu Odebiyi at the party primary held in Ilaro on Saturday.

The aggrieved politicians; Adebiyi Tajudeen, Olajumoke Ibrahim, and Muideen Akintade had on Friday, approached an Abeokuta division of the Federal High Court, obtaining an interlocutory injunction, restraining Adeola from parading himself as the candidate.

They argued that Adeola contested an election in Ogun West Senatorial District without having stayed in Ogun State for the number of the times required by law.

They also claimed that the Lagos senator was not from Ogun State and that he failed to resign as a senator representing Lagos West Senatorial district.

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According to them, it is a deliberate marginalisation and an infringement on the democratic rights of the people of Ogun West Senatorial district and of Ogun state in general.

They further submitted that contesting without being a member of the party in Ogun West nor a registered voter in Ogun West Senatorial district is contrary to the Constitution of Nigeria and repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience.

The legal document noted the move by Adeola is “undemocratic, flirtatious, disenfranchising, illegal, abnormal, denigrating to the political reputation of the people of Ogun West and Nigeria at large”.

They noted that declaring him a winner in a primary election is in “brazen violation and flagrant breach” of the right of the people of Ogun West to vote and be voted for.

In the injunction filed on Friday, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Abeokuta on Monday, the aggrieved politicians urged the court to grant the prayers to restrain Adeola from further parading himself as the senatorial candidate of the APC in the state.

The interlocutory injunction read partly, “an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the first and second (Adeola and INEC) defendants whether by themselves, their agents, officers, officials, servants or privies, committees or however, called from taking a further step in allowing the first defendant to participate in the general electioneering process leading to the 2023 general from Ogun West Senatorial district or any other place in Ogun State pending the hearing and determination of the originating summon.”

PUNCH