The Court of Appeal in Akure, the Ondo state capital, has reserved judgement in the appeal brought before it by candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede in the October 10, 2020 election.
The Precision NG reports that the sitting was conducted via Zoom.
The five-man panel led by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua gave the ruling after Jegede’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN had canvassed their briefs on why Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa should be sacked because they were not properly nominated by their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Counsel to Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa, APC and INEC; Akin Olujimi, Lateef Fagbemi and Charles Edosanmwon, however faulted all the arguments of Jegede’s counsel saying the case was a pre-election matter.
In their cross appeals, Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa, APC and INEC said the tribunal erred in law as it did not have jurisdiction to entertain the case and cited many supreme and appeal court cases to back their claim.
They also argued that the case was filed out of time and in the wrong court since it was a pre-election matter and urged the appeal court to strike out Jegede’s case for lacking in merit.
The three man panel led by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua later reserved judgement on all the four appeals to a later date.