(Reopened) Ondo poll: Court dismisses suit challenging Akeredolu’s reelection

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed another suit challenging the validity of the emergence of Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 20 primary election. Delivering a ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo, dismissed the suit filed by Mrs Olajumoke Anifowose, an APC aspirants in the poll.

Ekwo held that the application was statute barred. Supreme reports that Akeredolu was declared the winner of the Oct. 11, 2020 governorship election in the state after polling 292, 830 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP, who scored 195, 791 votes.

Supreme also reports that on Dec. 16, 2020, a Federal High Court dismissed another suit challenging the validity of the July 20, 2020, primary election which produced Akeredolu as the APC candidate in the October 2020 election in the state.Delivering judgment in that matter, instituted by an APC governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Dr Nath Adojutelegan, Justice Okon Abang held that the case was statute-barred as it was not filed within 14 days of the arising of the cause of action.

The judge in upholding the notices of preliminary objection filed by Akeredolu and the APC held that from the facts presented by the plaintiff the crux of his grouse was about the use of the indirect mode of the primary election, which he objected.