Court orders APC to conduct fresh LCDA primary elections

JUSTICE Doris Okwobi of an Ikeja High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday, ordered the APC to conduct fresh primary elections in Odi Olowo LCDA of Lagos State.

In her ruling, Justice Okuwobi ruled that no primaries were held on the May 27, 2017 in respect of the said LCDA.

The judgement came pursuant to a suit filed by one Hon Hakeem Abolaji Saka against the APC and LASIEC.

Saka had prayed the court to declare that no primaries were held on May 27 in respect of the Odi Olowo APC LCDA chairmanship office for the forthcoming Local Government elections slated for July 22, 2017.

At the hearing of the case the party APC through the office of the National Legal Adviser had informed the court of its warning to the state chapter to obey the provisions of the party’s constitution by organising delegates election and to eschew imposition.

The party also informed the court of a similar warning to the state chapter from the national secretariat to ensure internal democracy by ensuring democratic primaries were held for all aspirants. But the said warnings fell on deaf ears as the state chapter was bent on imposing candidates contrary to sound advice.

The judge however held that coming to the substantive suit “the concept of centralized primaries was unknown to the APC Constitution. No primaries were held in Odi Olowo LCDA.

“Any list of returned candidates purported to have arisen from the 27th May 2017 is null and void. In fact, no APC primaries took place on the 27th May 2017 as the whole exercise ended in a fiasco. APC is immediately ordered to conduct fresh LG/LCDA primaries forthwith. All the claimant’s Hon Hakeem Abolaji Saka’s claim were granted,” Justice Okwobi ruled.