The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reinstated the name of the rightful candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Eyitayo Jegede in the upcoming November 26, 2016 election.
The electoral body made the announcement this night [November 23, 2016] in a statement saying that it is complying with the judgement delivered at the Appeal Court earlier in the day.
The Appeal Court in Abuja on Wednesday 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.
Consequent to the Okon Abang ruling, INEC had replaced Jegede’s name with that of controversial billionaire businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate for the PDP on October 27.
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, 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 INEC to replace his name with that of controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim.
