By Ayodele Oni
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, was dully endorsed to contest the June 20 election by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Peter Lifu ruled in a case filed by Mrs Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi, a disqualified aspirant in the governorship primary against All Progressives Congress (APC) & 2Ors in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/222/25.
The plaintiff is challenging her disqualification in the primary election by APC and her exclusion in the revalidation of membership exercise.
The Court stated that the suit, by all standard, was not filed within 14 days of the date of the alleged disqualification.
“It took the plaintiff more than 27 days to file the suit. The suit is a pre- election matter. Any pre election matter not filed within the statutory period provided by the law is statute barred.”
Defendants had argued that the plaintiff is not their member on which the Court ruled against, her name having not been reflected in their register or members.
They argued further that the court has no jurisdiction to determine the membership of a political party as it is an internal affair and the sole responsibility of the political party to determine same.
According to defendants, no court can inquire into the issue of membership.
The court held that the issue as to whether or not the Plaintiff was qualified to contest bothers on membership and it is an internal affair of the political party.
The court further held that there’s no dispute worthy of the court’s intervention beteeen the plaintiff and the defendants, the suit is therefore non-justiciable and discloses no reasonable cause of action.
The suit was dismissed based on the above grounds in favour of the defendants.
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