Court dismisses suit seeking to nullify Oyo State Governor Makinde’s election

An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has dismissed a suit filed by a former aspirant on the platform of People’s Democratic (PDP) in the last gubernatorial election, Ayoade Adeseun, seeking to nullify the primaries conducted by the party in the state.

Adeseun and another applicant also sought a court order to nullify the election of all candidates of the PDP in the state. However, Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu dismissed the case, saying the primaries were in line with the PDP’s constitution and the guidelines of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The case was instituted against the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in October 2018.One of the defence counsel for the PDP, Mr. Lateef Adedigba, said: “We thought otherwise and the judge agreed with us. The judge said what was done in the primaries conducted was perfect and in line with the PDP’s constitution and in tandem with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act as amended.

“They wanted the court to set aside the senatorial, governorship, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primaries.”

The PDP secretary in the state, Mr. Wasiu Adeleke, also described the judgment as victory for democracy.