Kogi Gov’ship: Adeyemi, Audu Ask Court To Void APC Primary

The senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, and son of the state’s former governor, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to cancel the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in the state.

Besides the two, other aspirants who have already commenced legal action against the outcome of the primary include a former Minister of State for Education, Professor Stephen Ocheni, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, Martala Yakubu Ajaka and Dr Sanusi Ohiara.

In the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/556/2023 and FHC/ABJ/ CS/557/2023, Adeyemi and Audu respectively are asking the court to declare APC’s purported primary as illegal, unlawful and invalid for the November governorship election.

The aggrieved governorship aspirants alleged unlawful selection of Governor Yahaya Bello’s preferred candidate, Usman Ododo, as against the provision of Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution and sections 29 and 84 of the Electoral Act as well as Article 20 of the APC’s constitution.

In a 35-paragraph affidavit in support of his own originating summons, Senator Adeyemi claimed to have obtained his nomination and expression of interest form at N50 million upon which he was screened and cleared to participate in the primary election slated for April 14, 2023 because election was not held, adding that his senatorial district has never produced a governor.