The special panel of the Appeal Court in Abuja sitting on the Ondo People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidacy has set aside the controversial Justice Okon Abang judgement issued on October 14, 2016 which recognised Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP for the governorship of Ondo State.
The court also ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, reinstates Eyitayo Jegede,, a senior advocate of Nigeria, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the November 26 poll.
The judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the head of the three-person panel, on Wednesday, November 23, 2016, three days shy of the governorship polls in the state, faulted Justice Okon Abang ruling saying it did not follow due process for justice by denying Eyitayo Jegede fair hearing.
The court resolved all the 7 issues raised in the appeal in favour of Jegede who was challenging the ruling which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to replace his name with that of controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim.
Breaking! Justice Salauwa sets aside Abang Ruling that gave @inecnigeria order to publish Jimoh's name #OndoPDPAppealUpdate pic.twitter.com/PdLLJ1ziOB
— Publicist NG (@ThePublicistNG) November 23, 2016
Appeal Court says the lower court erred by ordering Jimoh Ibrahim name as PDP Governorship candidate #OndoPDPAppealUpdate
— Publicist NG (@ThePublicistNG) November 23, 2016
Appeal Court says Abang had no jurisdiction to order @inecnigeria to publish Jimoh's name as PDP candidate #OndoPDPAppealUpdate pic.twitter.com/qyz3bZSDmq
— Publicist NG (@ThePublicistNG) November 23, 2016
Appeal Court accuses Notorious Justice Abang for displaying "violent attitudinal disposition" #OndoPDPAppealUpdate pic.twitter.com/xBX1yeRVwc
— Publicist NG (@ThePublicistNG) November 23, 2016
Appeal Court said Ibrahim's so called ibadan primaries is a sham according to constitutional provisions. #OndoPDPAppealUpdate
— Publicist NG (@ThePublicistNG) November 23, 2016
Eyitayo Jegede was challenging the ruling which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to replace his name with that of controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim.
Supreme Court Stance
Ahmed Makarfi, the national chairman of the party’s caretaker committee is also challenging the June 29 judgement of Justice Abang which recognised the Biyi Poroye of the state’s chapter of the PDP as the chairman of the party.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck out appeals filed by Biyi Poroye, a self-acclaimed chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Ondo State chapter, challenging the Appeal Court’s powers to sit over the matter and awarded damages to the PDP’s lawyers to be paid by Poroye’s lawyers to the tune of N3 million.
The court also ordered the the Court of Appeal to go ahead with the proceedings on all issues relating to the Ondo People’s Democratic Party PDP governorship candidate tussle.
Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who presided over the hearing, also struck out ten motions for stay of execution filed against the lower court after Biyi Poroye lawyer announced the withdrawal of all the motions.
