Osun 2022 Election Oyetola Wins At Appeal Court

Nigerianewslite

 The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the candidature and nomination of the governorship candidate of APC, Adegboyega Oyetola and his running mate, Benedict Alabi in the July 16 governorship election in Osun.

Oyetola and Alabi are the immediate past governor and deputy governor of Osun State.

The court set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, nullifying the nomination of Oyetola and Alabi as the APC governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Sept. 30 nullified the nomination of Oyetola and his running mate, Alabi.

The nullification was on the grounds that Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, who submitted their names to INEC, violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution and Section 82 (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

In his judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite agreed with the submissions of the Plaintiff’s counsel and declared as null and void the nomination of Oyetola and Alabi by the APC.

The PDP through its counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, had in the suit dragged Buni and four others before the court challenging the nomination and sponsorship of Oyetola and his running mate as the duly nominated candidates of the APC.

But the Appeal Court in Abuja, on Friday, in appeal no: CA/ABJ/CV/1099/2022 between Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and Anor vs PDP and Ors, authenticated the nomination of the duo.

In allowing the appeal filed by Oyetola and his party, APC, the Court of Appeal held that the outcome of a governorship primary is a collective decision of a party through its congress.

It said the constitutional challenge or deformity of any officer of the party cannot render it illegal.

The court, therefore, held that notwithstanding the defects in the letter forwarding the nomination and sponsorship of Oyetola and his running mate to INEC, the fact that they emerged from a valid primary cannot be ruled out.

It maintained that the defect of Buni signing the letter conveying the nomination of the appellants cannot be a ground to reject the results and desire of the party’s primary election.

Regarding the question of immunity of Buni, who submitted the nomination of the appellants to INEC, the court equally held that Buni cannot be sued because the immunity enjoyed by him protected him against civil and criminal suits.

The court questioned Nwite for his failure not to consider a classical precedent judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Jegede v INEC before he arrived at his judgment.

It also awarded the cost of N200,000 in favour of the appellants.

Presidency Statement Concerning Samuel Ortom The Governor Of Benue State

 Nigerianewslite

Governor Samuel Ortom has few political principles. We can see this from the fact that he has changed political party five times during his undistinguished career.

Every time he feels the wind may be blowing in a certain direction, he follows it.

Unfortunately, for the good citizens of Benue State, the most dangerous direction he blows in today is that of sectarianism and ethnicity.

In an attempt to boost his sinking political fortunes, Ortom takes the cheapest and lowest route possible by playing on ethnic themes – and in doing so knowingly causes deaths of innocent Nigerians by inciting farmers against herders, and Christians against Muslims.

Specifically, Ortom stirs up hatred by targeting one single ethnic group in Nigeria – using language reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide.

As was the case in Rwanda where the then Hutu leaders of the country incited their countrymen against each other, claiming there was a “secret Tutsi agenda” over the Hutu, Ortom claims there is a “secret Fulanization agenda” over other ethnic groups in his state and in Nigeria. This is a copy of the language of Hutu Power - which falsely, and intentionally, accused the Rwandan Tutsi of plans to dominate the country.

This wicked talk is aimed at giving cover to his so-called “policy” on the Ranches Establishment Law – which in reality is purely an act of denial of the law - intended to withhold rights and freedoms from one ethnic group alone, whilst inciting race hatred against them amongst all others.

These are not the actions of a man who should be trusted with running public services or holding public office.

For the governor of a major state in Nigeria to be politically driven by ethnic hatred is a stain on our country.

The good, and fair-minded people of Benue State deserve more than this, and we look forward to the next elections when they have an opportunity to restore its greatness.