By Abdulwahab Abdulah

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has been urged to nullify the recent governorship primary conducted by the APC in Osun State on the ground of infraction of law.

APC

In an originating summon, one of the aspirants, Kunle Adegoke, is praying the court to nullify the results of the primary on the ground that the party violated the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2010 and relevant provisions of the APC constitution.

Joining  the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as defendants, the plaintiff stated by Article 25B(ii) of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress, 2014 (as amended), it is unconstitutional for the 1st Defendant to organize and conduct the governorship primary election held in Osun State on the 20th day of July, 2018 without a meeting of the National Executive Committee approving Rules and Regulations which ought to be made but was never made by the NWC for the purpose of nomination of candidates through direct primary elections.

He  asked the court to declare that the Osun State governorship primary held on the July 20, 2018 in Osun State is in flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution and Article 20 (V) of the party’s constitution, which mandated the party to abide by rules and regulations made by its National Working Committee and duly approved by its National Executive Committee for the purpose of nomination of candidates through primary elections.

He also prayed for an order to restrain INEC from according any recognition to the outcome of the said Osun State governorship primary election of the APC, and regard it as a primary conducted in violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

He prayed the court to declare that it is ultra vires for the APC to hold and organize the Osun State governorship primary election without given a prior 21-day notice of its primaries to INEC, indicating that a direct method of primary election shall be used.