Court upholds Akpata as LP’s guber candidate in Edo – Newstrends
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Court upholds Akpata as LP’s guber candidate in Edo

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Olumide Anthony Akpata

Court upholds Akpata as LP’s guber candidate in Edo

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to disqualify former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Anthony Akpata as the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the September 21 election.

The appellate Court held that the suit instituted by an aggrieved governorship aspirant, Kenneth Imasuangbon lacked cogent and verifiable evidence in the allegations against Akpata.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the Court of Appeal held among others, that Imasuangbon failed to explore the inter-conflict resolution mechanism of the Labour Party before rushing to Court.

Subsequently, the Court held that his case was premature in law and could not be entertained on the ground that conditions precedents were not met.

The unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel of Justices also held that the appellant failed to tender the disputed results of the February 23 primary election of the party which he claimed to have won.

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Justice Abang said the claim of Imasuangbon that he was not given official results by the Labour Party cannot hold water because he had his agent at the primary election.

To worsen the situation, the court said the appellant did not call as a witness, a single delegate from those he claimed voted for him at the primary election.

The Court further said that Imansuangbon’s allegations that Akpata did not sign the Indemnity Form is statute-barred and therefore lacked jurisdiction.

The Appeal Court therefore upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court in Benin delivered by Justice Babatunde Quadiri which had earlier dismissed Imasuangbon’s suit for want of merit.

Imasuangbon had in the suit prayed that Akpata be disqualified as Labour Party gubernatorial candidate on the allegations that he was not qualified to have participated in the poll.

He asked for an order from the court to compel the Labour Party to withdraw the candidacy of Akpata and submit his own name as the right candidate having come second in the primary election.

Court upholds Akpata as LP’s guber candidate in Edo

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Senator Adeola to INEC: Adopt NIN, driving licence as voter’s card like Ogun 

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Senator Adeola to INEC: Adopt NIN, driving licence as voter’s card like Ogun 

 

 

Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to consider alternative means of identification during voting.

Adeola, who’s the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation,

pointed out that accepting multiple forms of ID for voting will make the electoral process more inclusive and transparent.

He praised the use of National Identity Numbers and Driving Licences as voter identification at the ongoing Ogun State local government election, local government election, calling it a strategy to prevent voter disenfranchisement and ensure everyone can participate.

The Senator, who voted at the U.A.M.C. Polling Unit in Pahayi, Ilaro, noted that INEC can address challenges associated with the Permanent Voter’s Card and promote a smoother voting experience for Nigerians by exploring alternative identification methods.

He said, “I want to strongly believe that if we mitigate against this idea of disenfranchising people from casting their vote for one reason or the other, I will believe that it is not a bad idea to use other means of identification.

“The only thing is that there should be a lot of processes into this that will make it more legal, and that can show to the whole world the level of using it transparent. As far as that process is concerned, this will convince Nigerians that going forward into the future, aside from the PVCs, we can also use other legal means of identification, like a passport or the NIN card.”

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Ondo gov: Aiyedatiwa leads in 13 LGAs, result collation resumes 5am

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Ondo gov: Aiyedatiwa leads in 13 LGAs, result collation resumes 5am

 

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Saturday’s governorship election Ondo State is leading in all the 13 local governments so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Aiyedatiwa is also the incumbent governor of the state.

The collation of the remaining five council areas would resume by 5am today (Sunday), the collation officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, said Saturday night.

Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it was to allow for the arrival of results from the remaining local governments.

He said, “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume at 5am for these local governments.”

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INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

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INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

In less than 24 hours to the Ondo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that Olusola Ebiseni would be replaced with Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party candidate.

INEC stated on X on Friday that the replacement of Mr Ebiseni with Mr Festus followed a judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court ordered INEC to restore the name of Festus as the Labour Party candidate in the Saturday election.

INEC was served with the certified true copy of the judgment on Thursday, which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

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“The FHC, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, had on Sept. 27 ordered the commission to accept Ebiseni as the candidate of the LP for the 2024 Ondo state governorship election.

“However, in the appeal with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 filed by the LP, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, struck out the judgment of the FHC for lack of jurisdiction.

“In obedience to the court order, the commission has restored Festus, whose name was first published as the LP candidate for the 2024 Ondo Governorship election and uploaded the same to our website for public information,” INEC said.

 

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

(NAN)

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