Osun 2022: Court voids Adeoti’s move to stop Oyetola’s return

 A Federal High Court in Abuja Thursday struck out a suit seeking the disqualification of Osun state Governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s governorship election holding in the state.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, declared that the suit filed by an APC chieftain, Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, against Oyetola was an abuse of court process.

Justice Ekwo held that there was no iota of law supporting the plaintiff (Adeoti)’s process filed before the court.

The judge also agreed with the APC (1st defendant) that the court could not assume jurisdiction on the matter on the grounds that there was no cause of action for filing the suit.

Ekwo also held that Adeoti, who was also an aspirant in the February 19 APC’s primary poll, in his application, also admitted that he did not exhaust the party’s internal mechanism before filing the suit.

Consequently, the judge dismissed the suit in its entirety for being an abuse of court process.

Adeoti, the plaintiff in the suit, filed the matter through his legal team, led by Chiesonu Okpoko, SAN.

In the suit, the plaintiff listed the APC, Oyetola and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

Adeoti, who was an aspirant in the party’s governorship primary in the originating summons dated February 22 and filed February 23, prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that he (Oyetola) contested in the poll as a member of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Adeoti said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC (October 2014 as Amended).

According to him, the 2nd defendant (Oyetola) ought to have resigned his membership of the 1st defendant (APC)’s CECPC and leave office as an officer of the 1st defendant at least 30 days prior to the date of the 1st defendant’s Osun state primary election to qualify for participation in the said 1st defendant’s primary election.

Upon resumption of the matter Wednesday, Adeoti’s counsel, Mahmud Adesina, SAN, informed that the matter was adjourned for hearing and that he was ready to proceed on the case.

 Atiku urges Osun voters

In a another development, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) presidential candidate, former Vice President  Atiku Abubakar  has  urged voters in Osun state to protect and curb the ruling party from stealing their votes again.

Atiku spoke in Osogbo while canvassing votes for the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke, at the party’s mega rally held at the party secretariat.

“This is a PDP state. Don’t let them steal your votes this time. They have been rigging election here since 12 years ago. In 2010, they rigged through the court; in 2018 they rigged through the ballot.

“Don’t allow them steal this time around. Make sure you vote and defend your votes, if you allow them, you will go back to darkness,” he said.

INEC moves sensitive materials to LGAs 

Ahead of the Saturday governorship election in Osun state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Thursday moved the sensitive materials to the 30 local government areas.

The Public Relations Officer of the INEC in Osun, Oluwaseun Osumosu, who confirmed the move to our correspondent, said the materials were moved between 7pm and 10pm.

She said the materials were moved under heavy security to all the 30 local governments.

According to the PRO, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Abdulganiy Raji, said the electoral officers would take the items to their councils where they would be sent to the polling units on Saturday morning.

Politicians spray money, hotels occupied

Also, ahead of Saturday’s poll, some politicians have been spraying money to the generality of people of the state.

The concerned whose identities could not ascertained by Blueprint, sprayed N1, 000 notes to the people from Olaiya flyover while driving through the area.

Similarly, hotels in Osogbo, the state capital, had been occupied, Blueprint has gathered.

Checks by one of Blueprint revealed that some expensive hotels in the town were occupied by politicians and international observers.

The price tag on some hotels visited by Blueprint ranged from N7, 000 to N50, 000.

Some reporters, broadcast televisions and bloggers have stormed the state for the election and they have booked hotels ahead of their arrival.

INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu disclosed that 87 observer groups (79 domestic and 8 international) deploying a total of 7,790 field observers have been accredited for the election.

He said, “similarly, 94 media organisations (92 national and 2 international) deploying 624 journalists have been accredited to cover the election.”

However, some journalists were not captured by the data provided by INEC as the commission also did manual accreditation for those missing in the captured figure.

Similarly, queues have returned to some major petrol stations selling the official price of N165 per litre, while others sold between N180 and N195.

PSC task police on conduct

Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has tasked police officers deployed for the governorship election in Osun state to be of good conduct, and adhere to the rules of engagement.

This is as the commission deployed its staffers to monitor the conduct of police officers in 30 local government areas of the state to during the election.

PSC Head Press and Public Relations Ikechukwu Ani said this in a statement Thursday in Abuja.

Ani said: “The Commission will also be at the Situation Room of the Civil Society Organisations and the Security Control Room at the Police State Command Headquarters in Osogbo, capital of Osun state.

“The first batch of the Commission’s delegation arrived Osun state on Tuesday, July 12, while the second batch are expected in the various Local Government Areas today Thursday July 14, 2022.

“Commission’s Chairman, IGP Musiliu Smith (Retd), urged police officers involved in the security of the elections to beat the record set during the recently held Ekiti governorship election that was widely adjudged to be free and fair.

“Alhaji Smith called for greater commitment from the Police so that the Osun elections will signpost a bright future for election policing especially as the nation counts down to the 2023 general elections.

“He advised the Staff of the Commission to strive to also maintain a high level of commitment adding that the Commission will not hesitate to punish any staff found wanting during the national assignment.

“The police officers he admonished should work professionally   and avoid all partisan tendencies during the elections.”

“The commission has already released dedicated telephone numbers for interested Nigerians to call to complain of any infraction or commend exemplary conduct of Police Officers during the election. The numbers are: 08055606514; 08033345362; 07037158656.

“The PSC has the constitutional responsibility to appoint, promote, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control on all Police Officers with the exception of the Inspector General of Police (IGP),” the statement further added.

About Lateef Ibrahim, Osogbo and Chizoba Ogbeche, Abuja

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