Former minister of communications, Adebayo Shittu, has said that he listened to his counsel’s advice in withdrawing his suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Supreme Court.
Justice John Okoro of the Supreme Court had on Thursday dismissed Shittu’s case having been withdrawn by him.
APC had prevented Shittu from participating in its primary election because he skipped the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after his graduation from the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1978.
Shittu sued the party, seeking redress for allegedly being denied participation in the governorship primary election in Oyo State.
The former minister told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that he listened to the advice of his counsel who made reference to the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
“When the appeal came up before the Supreme Court on Thursday, and before same could be heard, my counsel stood up and voluntarily withdrew the appeal,” Shittu said.
“It must be noted that the dismissal of the suit was based on the application of my counsel and same was not predicated on the decision of the case on the merits.”
He said that the Appeal Court held that the possession or non-possession of an NYSC discharge or exemption certificate was not a prerequisite for contesting elections in Nigeria.
“Therefore, the Appeal Court has already laid the issue to rest effectively and there is, therefore, no need to flog a dead horse,” the former minister said.
