Court Orders INEC to Recognize Labour Party’s Nehemiah and Awude as Ondo Governorship Candidates
The Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize Chief Olusola Nehemiah and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s candidates for the upcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election on November 16, 2024. The court ruled that Nehemiah and Awude are entitled to all the rights and privileges associated with their candidacy.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Friday in Abuja, in response to a joint suit brought by the Labour Party, Nehemiah, and Awude, challenging INEC’s previous stance. The suit was filed under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite upheld the validity of the second Labour Party primary election that produced Nehemiah and Awude as its gubernatorial candidates. The court determined that Nehemiah had adhered to all necessary processes, including the payment of N20 million into the party’s United Bank for Africa (UBA) account as a nomination fee. This led to his rightful participation in the second primary election.
Furthermore, the judgment noted that Nehemiah had paid an additional N5 million to Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus, as directed by the party, following Festus’s withdrawal from the gubernatorial race. This transaction was done through Festus’s account at Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB).
Justice Nwite declared it improper for the Julius Abure-led Labour Party leadership to invalidate the primary election after the candidates had met all the requisite conditions. Consequently, the court directed INEC to acknowledge Nehemiah and Awude’s candidacy and to publish their names as the official Labour Party candidates for the Ondo State governorship election.
This ruling establishes Nehemiah and Awude as the legitimate flagbearers of the Labour Party for the forthcoming election.
