Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court, Abuja has on August 18, 2022, struck out a suit seeking to nullify the candidacy of the Osun State governor elect, Hon. Ademola Jackson Adeleke of People’s Demecratic Party (PDP).
Justice Egwuatu struck out the suit, saying that the plaintiff, Awoyemi Oluwatayo Lukman, lacked locus standi to institute the case against Hon. Adeleke was declared winner of the guber election held in the state on July 16, 2022.
Awoyemi Oluwatayo Lukman had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP and Jackson Adeleke before the court seeking order to void and set aside the submission of Adeleke’s name to INEC over what he described as ‘unlawful action’.
The plaintiff complained that Adeleke’s name was submitted in a hurry by PDP on March 11 which was against between March 14 to 18 specified in the INEC guidelines.
He prayed the court to declare the submission of Adeleke’s name unlawful, null and void as it is not within the legitimate period directed by the electoral body.
He charged INEC to be guided and guarded by its official guidelines and, that anything done outside the guidelines is against the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
In his judgment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu struck out the suit, noting that the said Awoyemi Oluwatayo Lukman lacked locus standi to institute the case.
