Ondo Election: Court to decide on eligibility of dep gov elect, Adelam
iA Federal High Court sitting in Akure, yesterday, reserved judgement in a suit challenging the qualification of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olaiyide Adelami, the running mate to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the November 16 governorship election.
Upon resumption of the matter in court, six Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, were in court to prosecute and defend the case.
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The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Agboola Ajayi, and the party, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court to challenge the qualification of Adelami as the running mate to the Governor-elect, Mr Aiyedatiwa in the just conducted governorship election in the state.
Mr M. Ndoka, SAN, was in court to challenge Adelami’s qualification, while Dr Remi Olatubora, SAN, and Idris Abubakar, SAN, appeared for the deputy governor, who was the first defendant.
Also, Mr Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, represented Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was the second defendant, while the All Progressives Congress, APC, was represented by Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, just as Charles Edosan, SAN, represented the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Recall that Ajayi had challenged the eligibility of Adelami to contest as the Deputy Governorship candidate on the platform of APC.
He consequently sought the disqualification of APC from the ballot. The case was initially filed at an Abuja court but transferred to Ondo State because of territorial jurisdiction.
In his originating summons, Ajayi, who was the second runner-up in the just concluded governorship election, said the first defendant, (Adelami) is known by multiple conflicting and irreconcilable names of Adelami Owolabi Jackson and Olaide Owolabi Adelami.
The PDP candidate argued that with the conflicting names, the court should disqualify him (Adelami) and the governorship candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
He said: “That the first defendant, (Adelami) is constitutionally disqualified from contesting the election as Deputy Governorship candidate of APC.
“A declaration that the APC has no validly nominated Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidate for the 2024 election.”
However, Adelami’s counsel, Dr Olatubora said that the West African Examination Council, WAEC, result has the name: Adelami Owolabi Jackson in 1974 and that a degree certificate from Ambrose Alli University issued in 1982 has the name Adelami Olaide Owolabi.
Olatubora said the grievance of the plaintiffs is not about discrepancies in the name but the order or arrangements of the names.
