PDP PRIMARY: COURT REJECTS THE PETITION OF THE ONDO SENATOR

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, dismissed the appeal brought by Senator Nicholas Tofowomo of the Ondo South Senatorial District challenging the election of Agboola Ajayi, a former deputy governor of the state, in the People’s Democratic Party’s senatorial primary.

Ajayi defeated incumbent Senator Tofowomo in the senatorial primary conducted in Okitipupa town, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, in May 2022 by receiving 78 votes to Tofowomo’s 74.

Tofowomo went to the Federal High Court after the primary results, seeking to have the defendant disqualified due to forged academic credentials, but the court dismissed the petition in favor of Ajayi.

The senator also took the case to the appellate court to contest the lower court’s decision, but on Tuesday the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal.

In his ruling, Justice Ayobode Lokulo-Sodipe upheld the high court’s decision and dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the appellant had missed the deadline for filing the case at the lower court.

The appeal court determined that the Electoral Act and constitution’s deadlines for filing such lawsuits prevented the appellant’s case from being reviewed on its merits.

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The court further stated that the case and the appeal were rendered inadmissible since the appellant failed to file within the legal deadline, which was unquestionably 14 days following the commencement of the cause of action.

The judge denied the appeal and mandated that the appellant pay a fine of N250,000.