Godwin Tsa Abuja
An aggrieved governorship aspirant in Ondo State, on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, has approached an Abuja division of the Federal High Court to restrain Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from parading himself as the APC candidate in the election scheduled for October 10.
The plaintiff, Nathaniel Adojutelegan, who commenced his legal action in an originating summons marked FHC /ABJ/CS/886/2020, equally seeks the order of the court voiding the outcome of the party’s governorship primary held on July 20.
In addition, the politician urged the court to order the APC to conduct a fresh primary and bar Akeredolu from participating in the fresh one to be ordered by the court.
He joined the APC, Akeredolu and the Independent National Electoral Commission as defendants in the suit where he argued that the primary was held in violation of the Electoral Act, APC’s constitution and the party’s electoral guidelines.
Adojutelegan told the court that Akeredolu wrongly announced before the primary that he (plaintiff) had withdrawn, a development which he claimed, negatively affected his chances in the primary .
The plaintiff alleged that the delegates’ list was manipulated in favour of Akeredolu in violation of the relevant provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
He alleged that the delegates’ list was largely made up of principal officers of the ward executive committees from all wards in the Ondo State; all members of the local government executive committee from all councils; and members of the state execu.