Ekiti Gov Dispute Update: Court Reserved Judgement Till Afternoon On Fayemi’s Eligibility Case

Justice Uche Agomoh of Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital has reserved the deliver judgement on former governor Segun Oni’s suit challenging Governor Kayode Fayemi’s eligibility to contest the primary election till 12:30 pm today.

Oni, who came second distant in APC’s governorship primary election in Ekiti State, is contending that Fayemi was not legally qualified to take part in the contest having failed to firstly resign his position in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

Recall that Fayemi won the party’s primary poll on May 12, while as the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

Fayemi officially resigned the position on May 30, about 18 days after he clinched the APC governorship ticket with a total of 941 votes as against 481 votes polled by Oni.

Mr. Tony Adeniyi, the lead counsel to the claimant Segun Oni in last month (November) urged the court to favour Oni by granting his plea and direct the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate of return to his client and declare Fayemi as ineligible.

He also prayed the court to strike out the counter affidavit of Fayemi and INEC’s counsels for not complying with the order of the court to file written addresses.

He added that the governor, as a minister, ought to have resigned 30 days before the primary election since he was a government appointee; and that had rendered him ineligible to contest the election.

Counsel to Fayemi, Mr Rafiu Balogun, however, argued that the election was conducted in accordance with the constitution of the party.

Balogun submitted that once the candidate of a party was cleared, the court could not determine who was elected as a candidate saying it was the sole decision of the party.

He said Fayemi did not need to resign because he was an appointee of the president and not a civil servant.

He, therefore, urged the court to dismiss and strike out the matter.

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