The Court of Appeal  has set APC on  fire with a sitting in Benin on Monday, April 15, when it nullified the election of Peter Akpatason of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a member of the House of Representatives for the Akoko-Edo federal constituency.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, had filed an appeal against the judgment of a lower court that held and declared Akpatason as the party’s candidate in the February 23, National Assembly elections.

Adjoto claimed that he won the party’s primary election held in October 2018, but was denied the ticket by the party leadership which he alleged was also affirmed by the lower court.

The report saud Justice Moore Abraham-Adumein-led three-member tribunal gave the judgement, holding that Akpatason was not the right candidate who emerged from the party primary. It held that as a result, Akpatason was not qualified to have contested for the March 9 national assembly election.

It was learnt that the tribunal subsequently declared Adjoto, being the candidate who emerged from the party primaries, as the right candidate for the Akoko-Edo federal constituency. The court, according to the report, also nullified the election of the APC’s National Assembly primaries election appeals committee headed by former Governor of Edo, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor.

 

Abraham-Adumein reportedly held that the trial court ought to have heard the case brought before it “since it is its duty to do so’. The trial court, for reasons best known to it, failed or neglected to make any pronouncement on the live issue before it.” Justice Abraham-Adumein said the Osunbor committee was not properly constituted because it contravened ‘article 21B’ of the APC guidelines, part of which said: “No member of the five member appeals committee shall be from the state of assignment.”

It included that the board of trustees ab initio should not hear the case. He further decided that alluding the case back to the trial court would have been statue bared yet that having considered the confirmations under the watchful eye of the lower court which it didn’t consider. “Adjoto won the primary election, as the returning officer,

Sufiyanu Igbafe, announced that Adjoto scored 7,034 votes, as against his adversary, Peter Akpatason’s 5,606 votes. “This appeal is therefore consistently permitted and the supplications looked for by the litigant in the preliminary court are thusly conceded and the entirety of N300,000 is thus granted as expenses against the first and second respondents,” he said.

He said his two associates, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, who is the directing equity and Justice Tunde Efotoye, concurred with the judgment. In his response, Omoh-Ige Adebayo, the guidance to Akpatason, said they would challenge the judgment in the Supreme Court. Energized, Adjoto stated:

“The legal executive isn’t just the last any desire for the normal man yet in addition of the enormous man.” He additionally guaranteed to give more portrayal to his kin, more than he has given to them at the state place of get together.

He said his two partners, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, who is the directing equity and Justice Tunde Efotoye, concurred with the judgment. In his response, Omoh-Ige Adebayo, the insight to Akpatason, said they would challenge the judgment in the Supreme Court. Energized, Adjoto stated:

“The legal executive isn’t just the last any expectation of the regular man yet in addition of the enormous man.” He additionally guaranteed to give more portrayal to his kin, more than he has given to them at the state place of get together.