Supreme Court Dismissed PDP Suit Seeking To Disqualify Oyetola From Osun Poll

The supreme court has dismissed a suit filed by the PDP to disqualify governor Gboyega Oyetola from participating in the July 2022 Osun state governorship poll.

The PDP in the suit, wants Oyetola to be disqualified because his nomination as the candidate elected in the party’s governorship primaries was endorsed by the APC national caretaker committee, headed by a serving governor, Mai Mala Buni.

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The Apex Court in its ruling on the appeal filed by the PDP against the dismissal of its suit by an appeal court, said it lacks merit.

The judgement read by Justice Clem Nweze, on behallf of the five member panel of the Apex Court, ruled that the PDP could not query the process of nomination of Oyetola

The Apex Court ordered the PDP counsel to withdraw the appeal.

Earlier, a federal high court last September 30, 2022  had nullified Oyetola’s nomination on the ground that the APC national caretaker committee which endorsed his nomination was illegal.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, in a judgment on September 30, 2022, nullified the participation of Oyetola and Alabi in the governorship election on the grounds that their nomination forms were endorsed by an acting Chairman of APC, who was also a serving Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.

Justice Nwite’s judgment was set aside by the Court of Appeal, Abuja in a judgment in December last year, a decision the PDP appealed to the Supreme Court.

In a judgment on Thursday morning, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Centus Nweze, held that the appeal by the PDP was without merit and directed the lawyer to the PDP, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), to withdraw it.

The court held that the PDP could not, under the law, question the process leading to the emergence of Oyetola and Alabi as candidates of the APC in the election.