… as court dismisses Agboola Ajayi’s case

* PDP’s  Ajayi lacks locus standi to file suit.– Court 

By Adedotun Ajayi & Ayodele Popoola 

The Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has described as a welcome development the dismissal of the case challenging his qualificationand that of his deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, in the just concluded governorship election in the State. 

The case instituted at the Federal High Court by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, was dismissed by the court on Monday. 

The governor commended the court for the timely dismissal of the case which he described as a needless distraction. 

Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke of the Federal High Court dismissed the suit challenging the qualifications of Governor Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, both candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The Presiding judge, while delivering judgement in a suit filed by Ajayi, challenging the qualification of the APC candidates, declared that the PDP candidate lacked locus standi to file the suit.

She also said that the case filed by Ajayi and his party, the PDP, was statute barred and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear it, having filed through originating summons instead of a Writ of Summons.

According to her, the suit was filed outside the 14 days required by the Electoral Act.

The PDP candidate, in his originating summons, said the first defendant, the deputy governorship candidate, Adelami, is known by multiple conflicting and irreconcilable names, urging the court to disqualify him and the governorship candidate.

But Adelami’s counsel, Dr. Remi Olatubora, SAN, argued that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) result has the name Adelami Owolabi Jackson in 1974 and that a degree certificate from Ambrose Alli University issued in 1982 has the name Adelami Olaide Owolabi.

Olatubora said the grievance of the plaintiffs is not about discrepancies in the name but the order or arrangements of the names.

His position was supported by Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, who represented Governor Aiyedatiwa, the second defendant, Mr Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, who represented the APC and Charles Edosan ,SAN, who represented the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).