The Federal High Court, Abuja, Friday, disqualified the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, from participating in the June 18, 2022, Ekiti State governorship poll.
The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo also held that the APC is not fielding any candidate in the election, having failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act as well as its guidelines in the conduct of party primary.
The court subsequently sacked the APC and Oyebanji from participating in the governorship poll and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist APC and Oyebanji from the list of political parties and gubernatorial candidates for the election or at any subsequent postponement.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/528/22, Ekwo also ordered the APC to refund N22.5 million to Kayode Ojo, who was another APC governorship aspirant being the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for the primary election the party failed to conduct.
Ojo, who was among the 8 aspirants that purchased forms to contest the election under the APC platform, had sued the party, INEC and Oyebanji over his (Ojo’s) failure to secure the governorship ticket.
He claimed that he was robbed of the APC gubernatorial ticket in favour of Oyebanji and had prayed the court to hold that his party did not conduct a valid primary for the governorship poll.
Ojo also sought an order compelling INEC to delist APC and Oyebanji’s name from the list of political parties and gubernatorial candidates for the election or any subsequent postponement.
He, therefore, demanded N122.5 million damages from the APC, being the refund of payment for the expression of interest and nomination forms.
But following the court verdict, Oyebanji has maintained that he would appeal his disqualification by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
(SPADE NG)
