New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Candidate Files Suit to Disqualify Ondo State Governor from Election
Naijawebinfo reports that Olugbenga Edema, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Ondo State, has taken legal action to prevent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa from participating in the upcoming election.
Edema is seeking an order from the Federal High Court to instruct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove Governor Aiyedatiwa and his deputy from the list of candidates for the November 16 gubernatorial election.
The NNPP candidate has filed an originating summons (Suit No. FHC/AK/CS/103/2024), citing Section 15 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which deals with the nomination process for political parties. Edema argues that the primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on April 20, 2024, was unconstitutional and did not comply with the Electoral Act, 2022.
In the suit, Edema has identified INEC as the 1st Respondent, APC as the 2nd Respondent, and Aiyedatiwa and his deputy as the 3rd and 4th Respondents. He is seeking declarations from the court that INEC’s announcement of the APC candidates’ names is unconstitutional and void, and that the nomination of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy is invalid.
Edema is arguing that INEC has a duty to exclude the names of the APC candidates due to their nomination from an invalid primary election. He is seeking the following declarations from the court:
- A declaration that INEC’s publication of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy as APC’s candidates is unconstitutional, invalid, and void.
- A declaration that INEC’s acceptance of the APC’s gubernatorial candidates was arbitrary and illegal.
- An order to invalidate the nomination and publication of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy by INEC for the November 16 election.
This legal challenge highlights the importance of strict compliance with electoral regulations and constitutional requirements regarding candidate nominations, especially in the context of the upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
