The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abimbola Olawumi, who had challenged the candidacy of Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti ahead of the governorship election in the state.
Unanimous Verdict Against Appeal
In a unanimous verdict delivered on Thursday, June 18, a three-member panel led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko ruled that the appeal by the APC member was incomplete. The appellate court determined that the brief of argument submitted by Olawumi violated court rules because it exceeded the permitted number of briefs and lacked supporting arguments, rendering the appeal incompetent.
Objection Upheld
Justice Banjoko, while reading the lead judgment, upheld the objection raised by the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Governor Oyebanji regarding the competence of the appellant’s brief of argument, which was filed on April 30. The judge explained that the brief contravened Paragraph 14(a) of the Electoral Proceedings Practice Direction 2023. Consequently, the brief was deemed incompetent and liable to be struck out for being filed in breach of the court's rules. The judge further held that the appeal was unsupported by any argument, which rendered it incompetent and subject to dismissal.
INEC Distributes Sensitive Materials
Meanwhile, INEC has commenced the distribution of sensitive materials for the upcoming Saturday election. This development has generated mixed reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
- Mazi Okwuoma commended the security agency for protecting the materials: "Kudos to the security agencies tracking these movements; protecting the integrity of the ballot is everything. Even though we know that the INEC chairman has the final say."
- Toni Rhymze expressed concerns that some residents might sell their votes: "The worst part of this story is that somewhere in Ekiti, a poor family is getting ready to go collect 10k and rice to vote without minding the consequences."
- Big Lanrey expressed concerns about the election: "Shaking my head... In Nigeria, the real election anxiety no be distribution of sensitive materials, na whether the votes go remain as sensitive as the materials after counting."
- Nancy Calyz expressed concerns: "It is called sensitive, yet it is all over the net. They should quit all this coverage and eye service they are doing."
Source: Legit.ng
