It doesn’t appear as though there will be light at the end of the tunnel of the presidential ambition of Kola Abiola, first son of the late Chief M.K. O Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, as an Abuja High Court, Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by an aspirant on the platform of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Madam Patience Ndidi Key against Kola.
THEWILL had earlier reported that Abiola’s joy at emerging the presidential candidate of the party was cut short when Madam Key challenged the result of its presidential primary. First she sought a consequential order setting aside the submission of Kola’s name by PRP to INEC as the flag-bearer and presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election on account of gross violations of the party’s guidelines for the conduct of primaries and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Then she later sought an order setting aside the declaration of Kola as the winner of the primary conducted on June 5 in Calabar, Cross Rivers State. Madam Key prayed for an order of perpetual injunction, restraining INEC from further recognising Abiola as the party’s presidential candidate.
She also prayed for an order directing the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary election nationwide, with her and Abiola participating and for the same to be monitored by INEC. In addition, she prayed for an order directing the PRP to pay her the sum of N200 million only as exemplary damages for causing her unnecessary hardship, waste of time and resources in campaigning, touring, and funding of her presidential campaigns which the party organised.
She said the party was in breach of some sections of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Political Party Primaries as well as the Constitution of the PRP’s Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for the 2023 General Election among others.
However, in a consequential amendment of PRP’s counter affidavit dated and filed on Nov. 5, the acting chairman of the party, Mohammed Nasiru, said the party issued series of revised guidelines for the nomination of its candidates for the 2023 general election before it finally issued its timetable.
He argued that INEC was duly notified about the exercise and it monitored the election conduct. The case was later adjourned till Nov. 25 and later fixed for December 2 for a definite hearing. But in a short ruling days after, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, after counsel for the parties adopted their processes for and against the suit, decided to reserve judgement in the suit.
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