The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit challenging the nomination of Governor Gboyega Oyetola as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in Osun State.
Dismissing the suit, Justice Inyang Ekwo, on Friday, ruled that nothing was illegal or unconstitutional in the conduct of the primary by the APC as alleged by an aggrieved aspirant on the platform of the party, Kunle Adegoke.
The suit instituted on July 27, 2018 by Mr Adegoke, who alleged that the July 20, 2018 primary election, in which he participated alongside Mr Oyetola and others, was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the relevant laws and regulations.
Oyetola, had after emerging as the party’s candidate, gone ahead to win the September 22 and 27, 2018 governorship election in the state.
“On the whole, I find no illegal or unconstitutional act on the part of the 1st defendant in the conduct of the governorship primaries in Osun State that would warrant this court to intervene in what can be considered as its internal affairs either before or on July 20, 2018 when the said primary election was held,” the judge ruled.
The defendants in the suit were originally, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, but Oyetola and his deputy, Benedict Alabi, were later joined as co-defendants.
Adegoke contended, among others, in a supporting affidavit, that the “direct method” adopted by the party allowing all general members of the party to vote in the primary election “was a departure from the extant 2014 guidelines of the party.”
But dismissing the suit, the judge ruled that contrary to Adegoke’s contention, the National Working Committee of the party reserved the right to adopt either direct or indirect primary for the nomination of its candidate for the governorship election in the state.
