Breaking: Court Gives Verdict on Contested APC Governorship Primary
- The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed Governor Biodun Oyebanji as the candidate of the APC in the Saturday governorship election in Ekiti State
- This is as the appellate court dismissed the suit filed by an APC member, Abimbola Olawumi, challenging the candidacy of Governor Oyebanji
- At the same time, INEC has commenced the distribution of sensitive election materials for the election that is scheduled for Saturday, June 20
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abimbola Olawumi, who had challenged the candidacy of Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti ahead of the governorship election in the state.
In a unanimous verdict on Thursday, June 18, Justice Adebukola Banjoko-led three-member panel of the appeal court said that the appeal of the APC member was incomplete.
Source: Twitter
Ekiti: Why court dismissed suit against APC primary
According to the appellate court, the brief of argument filed by Olawumi contravened the rules of the court because it exceeded the allowed number of briefs, and the appeal was not supported by any arguments. Thus, it was incompetent.
The Nation reported that Justice Banjoko, while reading the lead judgment, allowed the objection raised by the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Oyebanji to the competence of the appellant’s brief of argument, filed on April 30.
Justice Banjoko explained that the brief of Olawumi violated Paragraph 14(a) of the Electoral Proceedings Practice Direction 2023. The judge then held that the brief was incompetent and liable to be struck out for being filed in breach of the court's rules.
The judge further held that the appeal was unsupported by any argument, which rendered it incompetent and liable to dismissal.
Ekiti 2026: INEC distribute sensitive electoral material
Meanwhile, INEC has started the distribution of sensitive materials for the Saturday election. A development that has started generating mixed reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Mazi Okwuoma commended the security agency for protecting the material:
"Kudos to the security agencies tracking these movements; protecting the integrity of the ballot is everything. Even though we know that the INEC chairman has the final say."
Source: Getty Images
Toni Rhymze expressed worries that some residents will sell their votes:
"The worst part of this story is that somewhere in Ekiti, a poor family is getting ready to go collect 10k and rice to vote without minding the consequences."
Big Lanrey expressed concerns about the election:
"Shaking my head... In Nigeria, the real election anxiety no be distribution of sensitive materials, na whether the votes go remain as sensitive as the materials after counting."
Nancy Calyz expressed concerns about the election:
"It is called sensitive, yet it is all over the net. They should quit all this coverage and eye service they are doing."
You can read more comments from Nigerians on X here:
UK to monitor Ekiti, Osun governorship elections
Legit.ng earlier reported that British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has said that the United Kingdom will deploy observers to monitor the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.
Montgomery made the comment during his visit to the APC national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party's national headquarters.
According to the British commission, the UK respects Nigeria's sovereignty but has a keen interest in the country's democratic and economic progress.
Source: Legit.ng
