Ondo PDP: Sen Tofowomo Sues Ex-Deputy Governor

By Ayodele Oni

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the Peoples’ Democratic Party primary election which produced former deputy governor of Ondo state, Agboola Ajayi, as a candidate for the south senatorial seat in next year’s election, incumbent Senator Nicholas Tofowomo has gone to court.

Tofowomo wants the federal high court sitting in Akure to declare the former deputy governor as an unfit candidate to contest the election.

Ajayi won the PDP ticket of the People’s to contest for the senatorial seat, while incumbent Tofowomo came second.

Tofowomo, is seeking  Ajayi’s  disqualification on the basis that he is parading fake academic qualifications.

Joined in the suit filed by Femi Emodamori on behalf of the senator are Agboola Ajayi

as second defendant and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), third Defendant.

The suit number: FHC/CS/AK/ 83 /2022 filed on Tuesday claimed that Agboola did not meet the constitutional requirements for contesting the 2023 general election as contained in Section  66(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 29(5) & (6) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as other relevant laws.

The plaintiff urged  the court to determine if together with the totality of the facts before the Court,  the 1st Defendant (Agboola) did not present false information and/or forged certificate(s) in his INEC Form EC9 and the other documents attached thereto which he submitted to the 3rd Defendant (INEC) as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Election.

“I verily believe that the 1st Defendant (Agboola) lied and/or swore to a false information when he stated in Exhibit FEE4 (the Affidavit For Correction of Date of Birth which he submitted to the 3rd Defendant) that he was issued the 2004 WASSC (Exhibit FEE3) No. NGWASSCS 5529745 and claimed “that in the said Certificate my date of birth was mistakenly printed as December 8, 1980 instead of 24th September 1968.”

The Senator also stated that “Whether, having regard to Section 29 (6) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the 1st Defendant (Agboola) should be disqualified as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant (PDP) for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Election.”

He prayed for, “A DECLARATION that having regard to S.66(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), S.29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and judicial authorities which include the Supreme Court decisions in MODIBBO V USMAN (2020) 3 NWLR (PT. 1712) 470 and PDP V. DEGI-EREMIENYO (2021) 9 NWLR (PT. 1781) 274, Ajayi is not qualified.”

Other prayers include “AN ORDER of this Honourable Court disqualifying the 1st Defendant as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.

“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court declaring the Plaintiff, having scored the 2nd highest number of votes in the 2nd Defendant’s Primary Election for Ondo South Senatorial District held on 23rd May, 2023, as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the said Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.

“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to substitute the Plaintiff for the 1st Defendant as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.”