Oyetola appeals court ruling nullifying his candidacy

A week after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja nullified the nomination of Osun State governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state, the governor and his deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi, on Wednesday, filed an application before the court to appeal the judgment. 

In the application filed before the court, the duo are also seeking to stay execution of the judgment, pending the final determination of the appeal. Oyetola and Alabi, in an appeal filed by the APC through their counsel, Dr Abiodun Layonu and Abdulfatai Oyedele, listed 19 grounds of appeal against the lower court judgment. 

According to them, the decision of the Federal High Court was against the weight of evidence and constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice. 

They, therefore, asked the court of appeal to set aside the ruling of the lower court and affirm their nominations as valid and lawful. 

In the appeal, the governor and his deputy argued that all the actions taken by Governor Mai Mala Buni in respect of their nominations were valid and legally cognisable as it was in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. 

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• NGX Lists Geregu Power’s 2.5bn Shares On Its Main Board

• NCC Made Over $500m From Auction Of 5G Spectrum ―​​Dambatta

• Lagos State Appeals Judgement On LASTMA Fines, Towing Of Vehicles

• EDITORIAL: Lyon, The Flamboyant Kidnapper

• Etebo awaits Aris debut Sunday

• Ukraine joins Spain, Portugal’s 2030 World Cup bid

The appellants noted that the setting up of the defunct caretaker committee/ extraordinary planning committee by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC did not violate provision of the Constitution and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022. 

The APC further argued that the PDP lacked the locus to commence the legal action against Governor Oyetola as the issue of nomination of candidates was an internal affair of political parties, hence does not concern the PDP.