The loss of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State in a suit challenging the legality of his candidacy of the APC in the concluded gubernatorial election held on July 16 is to be blamed on Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State governor.
Newsonline reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the nomination of Governor Isiaka Oyetola and his Deputy Governorship candidate, Benedict Alabi in the just recently concluded Osun gubernatorial election.
The court ruled that the submission of their names to INEC by Governor Mai Mala Buni violated the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022.
Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN) who in April this year went to court to challenge the nomination and sponsorship of Governor Isiaka Oyetola and his deputy as the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Osun Election, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed in its recognition and submission of the name of Oyetola as the governorship candidate of APC in the July 16 Osun governorship election.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite in his judgment ruled in favour of the Plaintiff’s counsel by declaring as null and void, the nomination of Governor Isiaka Oyetola and Benedict Alabi by the APC.
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The court upheld that Buni violated the provision of sections of the Constitution because he held dual executive positions as the Governor of Yobe State and as well, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of APC.
The court held that all actions taken by Governor Buni, including submitting the names of Governor Oyetola and his Deputy to INEC, amounted to a nullity in law.
In a reaction to the court judgement, Oyetola’s Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, said the governor’s lawyers were getting set to challenge the decision of the Federal High Court at the Appeal Court.
In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, after the court ruling, Omipidian said, “The case was instituted by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite the fact there is a plethora of decisions flowing from the apex court that frowns upon such a decision.
“For the records, the position of the law is that only members of the APC who participated in the primary election can approach the court to challenge the nomination of Oyetola as the candidate of the party.
“All these are part of the antics of the opposition PDP and some of their collaborators from within to distract us. But like every of their plans, this too has fallen flat on their faces.”
Governor Oyetola added that the ruling was a ploy to distract the suit in the tribunal against the governor-elect of the state, Ademola Adeleke.
“They want to distract us from the tribunal case. But we shall remain focused until we take back our mandate. We have confidence in the Tribunal to do justice in the case before it, just as we have implicit confidence in the Appeal Court to set aside this latest decision of the Federal High Court.” Oyetola’s aide said.
