Apex Court Dismisses Suit Challenging Oyetola’s Participation in Osun Election
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to restore the nullification of the participation of Osun’s ex-governor Gboyega Oyetola and his deputy Benedict Alabi in the July 16, 2022 governorship election.
While delivering judgement on Thursday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Chima Nweze, held that the appeal by the PDP lacked merit and directed the counsel for the PDP to withdraw the suit.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja Federal High Court, had, in a judgment on September 30, 2022 nullified the participation of Oyetola and Alabi in the governorship election on the grounds that their nomination forms were endorsed by an acting Chairman of APC, who was also a serving governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.
But the Abuja division of the court of appeal set aside Justice Nwite’s judgment in December last year, a decision the PDP appealed to the Supreme Court.
In the judgment, the apex court held that the PDP could not, under the law, question the process leading to the emergence of Oyetola and Alabi as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.
