An aspirant for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress in the Ekiti governorship election ha has filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the emergence of Fayemi, former Minister of Mines and Steel, as the party’s standard bearer for the July 14 governorship poll.
Fayemi polled a total of 941 votes at the primary which held on May 12 to defeat Oni, his closest rival by a margin of over 460 votes.
In the suit, Oni has asked the court to determine if it was proper for his opponent in the primary to contest without resigning as a member of the federal cabinet. He is also asking the court to declare him as the valid candidate of APC for the July 14, 2018 election for the office of Governor Ekiti State.
TheCable reports that Oni asked the court to determine if Fayemi’s action did not violate the Nigerian constitution and the guidelines of the ruling party primary in the suit was filed on his behalf by Gani Faniyi, his counsel.
Speciafically, Oni asked the court to determine, “Whether by virtue of APC constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of APC 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the APC governorship primaries conducted on the May 12, 2018, the 1st defendant being a serving member of the Federal Executive and Federal Minister of Solid Minerals, Mines and Steel Development having not resigned his appointment as a member of Federal Executive and Minister of Solid Mineral, Mines and Steel Development, at all or at least 30 days to the said primaries election of May 12, 2018 was qualified to contest and participate in the said APC governorship primaries of May 12, 2018 as an aspirant in that election,” the document read.
“Whether by virtue of APC Constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of APC 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the APC governorship primaries conducted on the May 12, 2018, at Damilek Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti for the purpose of determining or nominating the 2nd defendant candidate for the July 12 Ekiti State governorship election, the 1st defendant having being indicted by Rtd. Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry was qualified to contest and participate in the said APC governorship primary of 12th May, 2018 as an aspirant in that election.”
Among the reliefs Oni are seeking are: “A declaration that the claimant (Oni) having scored 481 votes which is the majority of lawful and valid votes at the 2nd defendant (APC) the 12th May, 2018 APC governorship primaries election for the purpose of determining the 2nd defendant’s candidate for the July 14, 2018 election for the office of Governor Ekiti State is the person that was validly nominated by the 2nd defendant for the 1 July 14, 2018 election for the office of Governor, Ekiti state.”
It will be recalled Fayemi resigned as minister on May 30 after his emergence as the APC governorship candidate for the Ekiti governorship election.