The Court of Appeal in Akure has thrown out a legal case filed by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) candidate, Olugbenga Edema, challenging the nomination of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the upcoming Ondo governorship election.
The court ruled on Wednesday that the primary election that produced Aiyedatiwa as the APC candidate was valid.
It pointed out that Edema did not follow a previous court order, which affected the strength of his case.
Edema had earlier approached the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the nomination of Aiyedatiwa and his running mate, arguing that the selection process did not comply with the law.
He also wanted the court to interpret a section of the Nigerian Constitution to determine whether Aiyedatiwa’s nomination followed due process.
However, Justice Toyin Adegoke noted that the failure to include the NNPP as one of the plaintiffs weakened the entire case, leading to its dismissal at the High Court.
Unhappy with that decision, Edema took the matter to the Appeal Court. But the panel of three judges, led by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, rejected the appeal.
The judges agreed that the appeal had no solid basis and was an abuse of the legal process.
As a result, the case was dismissed, and a fine of one million naira was awarded against each of the respondents.
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