Appeal Court Orders INEC To Relist Otegbeye, Other Ogun ADC Candidates For 2023 Polls

An Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan, has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relist Barrister Biyi Otegbeye as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2023 Ogun State governorship poll.

The appellate court also directed the electorate body to relist 23 candidates of Ogun State ADC for the state house of assembly polls.

It revoked the last November 26 judgement of a Federal High Court which orderd INEC to delist the names of elected ADC candidates in Ogun State from the 2023 polls candidates list.

The court issued the order, while ruling on the appeal filed by the Ogun State ADC to challenge the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta on the application filed by the Ogun State Labour Party and the APC seeking the disqualification of all ADC candidates from the 2023 polls in Ogun State.

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Justice Akintayo Aluko in the last November 26 judgement, had ordered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist the names of all candidates of the Ogun State African Democratic Congress (ADC) from the 2023 polls candidates list.

However, Justice I. Adumei reading the appeal court judgement on Monday, ruled that Federal High Court, Abeokuta, lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the applications of the All progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party, which challenged the outcome of the Ogun State ADC primaries.

According to the appellate court,  only an aspirant who participated in the primaries has the right to challenge its outcome.

Justice Adumei added that only the political parties could determine its candidates for any election.

The appeal court awarded a N50,000 cost in favour of the ADC candidates, Barrister Biyi Otegbeye.