Senator Jimoh Ibrahim Challenges APC’s Ondo State Governorship Candidate in Court

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South in the Senate, has taken legal action against the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the disputed primary election that produced Aiyedatiwa as the APC candidate for the November election.

In a suit filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja and represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chris Uche, Ibrahim alleges that the April 20 primary election that produced Aiyedatiwa was unlawful and marred by irregularities.

He claims that sections 221 and 228 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 were violated during the conduct of the primary election by the APC.

Ibrahim contends that some delegates who could have voted for him were not accredited, rendering the primary election liable to be set aside and nullified.

He seeks to have the court cancel Aiyedatiwa’s nomination as the APC candidate and bar INEC from accepting him as such for the November 16 gubernatorial election in Ondo State.

Additionally, Ibrahim requests an injunction to prevent Aiyedatiwa from holding or parading himself as the APC governorship candidate.

He also asks for the setting aside of the primary election and a fresh one conducted in compliance with the constitution and electoral laws.

Furthermore, Ibrahim seeks to have the APC and Aiyedatiwa delisted from the political parties and candidates participating in the gubernatorial poll until a lawful primary election is conducted.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, Ibrahim’s lawyer moved an ex-parte application for an order of substituted service of court process on Aiyedatiwa through any staff of the APC at the National Secretariat in Abuja, which was granted by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo.

The court scheduled May 14 for the hearing of the suit.