Appeal court sacks Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate

dimeji akinloye

November 23, 2016 4:56 PM

The court declared Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the party's rightful candidate for the election.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has sacked billionaire

The court on Wednesday, November 23, declared Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the party's rightful candidate for the election.

The Justice Ibrahim Saulawa led three-man special panel of the appellate court, in a unanimous judgment, vacated the June 29 judgement of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Abang had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Ibrahim as PDP gubernatorial candidate for the poll.

But the Justice Saulawa panel says Abang’s judgment was 'violent attitudinal disposition to rule of law.'

While giving his verdict, Justice Saulawa said that Jegede’s appeal was 'most meritorious and accordingly allowed.'

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The court also said that all seven issues are in favour of Jegede.

The appellate court held that Justice Abang’s refusal of to grant a fair hearing to Jegede "rendered the entire proceedings before his court a nullity."

"Indeed it is obvious from the records that the appellant’s name had been duly published as the governorship candidate of the 11th respondent (PDP) for the November 26 Ondo governorship election," Justice Saulawa said.

He held that the lower court was in grievous error when it ordered the publication of Ibrahim’s name.

dimeji akinloye