Appeal Court Reserves Judgment in Appeal Against Oyetola’s Sack as Candidate

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in the two appeals by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the last governorship election in Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola. A three-member panel of the court took the decision on Friday after entertaining arguments from lawyers to parties. The APC and Oyetola are among others, praying the appellate court to set aside the September 30, 2022 judgment by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Justice Nwite, in the judgment, voided the nomination of Oyetola and his deputy governorship candidate, Benedict Alabi as APC’s candidates in the election held on July 16, 2022. Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment on Friday, held among others, that Governor Mai Mala Buni (the then Chairman of the APC’s caretaker committee) who submitted their names to INEC violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The judgment was on the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/468/2022filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Mala Buni and four others. Justice Nwite agreed with the submissions of the plaintiff’s lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN) and declared as null and void the nomination of Governor Isiaka Oyetola and Benedict Alabi by the APC. The judge equally held that Mala Buni acted in contravention of the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution when he held dual executive positions as the Governor of Yobe State and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of APC.