September 27, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court, Abuja, has declared Olusola Nehemiah and Ezekiel Awude, as duly elected governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the Labour Party (LP), for the November 16 gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
Ruling on Friday in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and recognise Olusola and his running mate, Awude, as validly elected Labour Party candidates for the off-cycle governorship election.
Nehemiah and Awude had prayed the court to order INEC to recognise them as candidates of the Labour Party after the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC), disowned the fresh primary election that produced them.
The court held that the fresh governorship primary election which produced Nehemiah and Awude was valid and must be upheld by INEC.
According to the court, evidence abounds that Nehemiah paid N20 million into the United Bank for Africa (UBA), account of the Labour Party for the nomination form and was duly issued a form that led to the conduct of the second primary election. It further held that evidence abounds that the Labour Party ordered Nehemiah to pay N5 million to one Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus into his account number 0023807463 at Guarantee Trust Bank as expenses upon his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race.
Justice Nwite declared the action of the Julius Abure-led Labour Party NWC disowning the fresh primary election that produced Nehemiah and Awude, having met all conditions precedent, illegal.
Consequently, Justice Nwite ordered INEC to accept the nomination of Nehemiah and Awude and publish their names as lawful candidates of the Labour Party for the Ondo governorship poll.
