THE Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Smart Adeyemi challenging the nomination of Usman Ahmed Ododo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State.
In a ruling read by Emmanuel Agim on Monday, October 23, the Supreme Court fined Adeyemi for bringing what it called a “vexatious and frivolous suit.”
Agim said the case of the appellant lacked merit.
The Court upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which stated that Ododo had legitimately conducted and won a primary election.
Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the primary election of the APC, which produced Ododo as the party’s flagbearer for the state’s governorship election.
The case was dismissed by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal for lacking merit. Adeyemi then approached the Supreme Court.
The apex Court, therefore, adjourned the appeal to October 23, 2023, for judgment.
On August 18, 2023, the Court of Appeal ruled that there was no merit to the appeal that Adeyemi’s lawyer, Adekunle Otitoju had filed on his behalf.
A three-judge panel of the Court also ruled unanimously that Adeyemi had not proven criminal charge levelled against the APC and its leaders about how the primary poll was conducted.
On Thursday, September September 28, the court dismissed an appeal by Abubakar Achimugu challenging the nomination of Ododo.
Achimugu was challenging the candidacy of Ododo, the immediate past Auditor of Kogi State as APC candidate.
Achimugu claimed that Ododo’s nomination breached the provisions of the law on the ground that he did not resign his employment with the Kogi State Public Service 30 days before contesting the governorship primary election.
The trial court, however, ruled that the evidence refuted Achimugu’s assertion that Ododo quit his position less than 30 days before voting in the APC primary and dismissed the lawsuit.
A reporter with the ICIR
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