Dapo Abiodun, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state, has been freed of 3 cases instituted to challenge his victory at the party’s primaries on May 26.
A federal high court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital dismissed the 3 files, The Nation reported.
For various reasons, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the cases for lack of standing to be sued to lack of jurisdiction, incompetence, frivolity, an academic exercise and being statute barred
The litigant also received a “joint cost” of N2 million, which was awarded in favour of APC and its candidate in each of the 3 cases.
The suit was instituted by Sherifat Eweje against the APC and Dapo Abiodun.
But the judge says a person who did not participate in a primary election for an office has no right to challenge the outcome of the primary election in court.
The court stated that Eweje was contesting for a legislative seat, not the governorship race.
The judge made it known that Eweje withdrew from the race on May 10, which was before she filed the suit and before May 26, when the primary governorship primary was held.
The court then concluded and declared that the plaintiff lacked locus standi to institute the case.
The judge said that the suit is barred because it was filed more than 14 days after the primary.
Consequently, the court declared the suit incompetent and struck it out, describing all other issues raised in the case as academic issues since the court has no jurisdiction.