The Court of Appeal in Akure, on Saturday affirmed the eligibility of
Senator Ademola Adeleke, Osun State’s governorship candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to stand for election as Governor.
Presided over by Justice M.A Danjuma, the court dismissed the appeal
against the judgment of an Osun State High Court sitting in Oshogbo,
which had confirmed the eligibility of Adeleke to contest for the
governorship of Osun State.
The court had Justices R.A Abdullahi and P.A Mahmoud as members of the panel.
The Osogbo High Court had ruled that Adeleke was qualified to contest
for the governorship, having been educated up to secondary school
level.
Not satisfied with the high court decision, the runner-up in the
gubernatorial primary election, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, proceeded to the
appellate court to challenge it.
The Appeal Court agreed with Adeleke and consequently dismissed the appeal on three grounds.
It held that the trial court had no jurisdiction to entertain the
suit and that the sponsored petitioner, one Kingsley Awosiyan from Ife
Central had no locus standi to file the case.
The court also held that the matter was brought to court outside the
stipulated 14 days, after the conduct of the primary election.
The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal, had in a spilt judgment, declared Adeleke winner of the governorship election.
