Ondo Guber; Court orders APC, Aiyedatiwa, INEC to open defence

The Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to file their defense in a suit seeking removal of Aiyedatiwa as APC gubernatorial candidate for November election. This is following a claim by the APC that it had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, seeking for transfer of the case from Abuja to Ondo State. In the ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered that the three defendants must file their respective defence within days allowed by law since the suit is a time bound one. The plaintiff, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, is before the court questioning the conduct of the primary election that produced Aiyedatiwa as APC gubernatorial candidate. When the matter came up, Tuesday, Counsel to the APC, Tayo Oyetibo informed the Court that his client had forwarded a letter to the Chief Judge praying for movement of the case from the Abuja division to Akure division. He however admitted that APC had not received any response to the letter. In response, Justice Ekwo held that there was no letter before him and as such, cannot act on anything not before the court. However, the court held that with or without the letter before him, the defendants must respond to the issues raised by the plaintiff. APC in its letter by Matthew Bukkar SAN, dated May 12, but received in Chief Judge’s Office on May 13, 2024, claimed that the primary election being challenged was conducted in Akure, the Ondo State capital. It explained that it has a functional office in Akure with State Working Committee on ground and that the electoral body also has office in Akure. Besides, APC said that governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa whose candidacy is being challenged is resident in Akure. The party therefore said that Akure division of the Federal High Court is the approximate convenient place for the case to be determined. However, counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Chris Uche SAN was prevented from reacting to the letter on the ground that the said letter was not before the court. After issuing the order, Justice Ekwo fixed May 29 for hearing of the suit with a warning that all processes in respect of the suit must be filed and exchanged by parties. Ibrahim who is representing Ondo South in the Senate, is praying the court to cancel the nomination of Aiyedatiwa as APC candidate on the ground that the April 20 primary election that produced him was unlawful. In the suit instituted on his behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chris Uche, Ibrahim, a governorship aspirant who participated in the primary election alleged that the poll was marred with a lot of irregularities. Among others, the Senator claimed that sections 221, 228 of the 1999 Constitution and that of 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 were grossly violated in the conduct of the disputed primary election by the APC. He alleged that some delegates who could have voted for him at the primary election were not accredited to vote thereby making the primary election liable to be set aside and nullified. He is therefore praying the Court to bar INEC from accepting governor Aiyedatiwa as the APC governorship candidate in the coming November 16 gubernatorial election in Ondo State. The Senator also sought an order of perpetual injunction prohibiting governor Aiyedatiwa from holding himself out or parading himself as the APC governorship candidate. Similarly, Ibrahim wants the court to set aside the purported primary election and compel the APC to conduct a fresh one in compliance with sections 221, 228 of the 1999 Constitution and that of 84 of the Electoral Act 2022. The aggrieved governorship aspirant prayed the Federal High Court to delist the names of the APC and Aiyedatiwa from the political parties and candidates that would participate in the gubernatorial poll . Plaintiff further requested that APC and governor Aiyedatiwa be stripped of all rights except a fresh primary election is lawfully conducted for the purpose of nominating candidate for the governorship election.

Aiyedatiwa Will Be Disqualified From Ondo Governorship Race – Jimoh Ibrahim 

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and an aspirant in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo has said that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa would be disqualified from the race. Describing Aiyedatiwa as a joker, Ibrahim said the incumbent governor was never the choice of Ondo people. Taunting the governor, Ibrahim displayed his entire academic and award certificates to journalists at the screening at the APC secretariat in Abuja. Ibrahim said Aiyedatiwa was only trying to ride his way into the Government House again on the back of the ticket of late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and a few endorsements he got from the State House of Assembly. He said: “As you can see, all my credentials and certificates are complete. What has Aiyedatiwa achieved? He was just a pair to Aketi. We didn’t vote for him. It was Aketi we voted for. “But I can assure you, the governor is a huge joker. He can’t continue in government with his P8 and P7 (alleged grades). The governor will be out of that place by the time we finish the APC primary next week. He is gone and there is nothing he can do about it. “I don’t normally go against people. Left alone to me, clear everybody and let them go for primary. Let the electorate decide. I have won the election as senator. I won in six of the six local governments, 65 of the 66 wards, and bagged 111,677 votes as against Agboola Ajayi’s 60,000 votes.” However, Aiyedatiwa told the APC screening committee for the upcoming governorship election in the state that his credentials are genuine.

Why Aiyedatiwa is yet to move into Ondo Govt House 

Three weeks into his tenure as the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been working from his former Deputy Governor’s office, delaying his transition to the Governor’s Office at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure, Starnews NG report.  Despite being sworn in on December 27, 2023, following the passing of former governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa is gradually settling into his role.  In his inaugural address, he pledged to continue his predecessor’s work and ensure collaboration with all stakeholders.  However, the governor, after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, is reportedly focused on reorganizing the All Progressives Congress in the state before selecting a deputy governor.  Sources told Starnews that ongoing consultations to choose a deputy from either the central or northern senatorial districts, while Aiyedatiwa continues to operate from his former office, delaying his move to the main governor’s office at the Government House. The source said, “The governor has been coming to the office, but he has been using his old deputy governor office to operate and receive visitors. He has yet to occupy the state Government House too. The only place he uses in the Government House is the Presidential Lodge where he receives visitors. The governor’s residential lodge too has not been used by the governor.” When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, confirmed that the presidential lodge was being used by the governor to receive visitors while some other areas were under renovation, adding that the Governor’s Office was under renovation. “The governor has been using the Government House; he receives visitors at the presidential lodge. Others are undergoing renovation. Very soon, everything will be alright. The new building in the Government House is nearing completion and he might be using there. “The main governor’s office too is under renovation; after the renovation, the governor will move in,” the CPS stated