OSUN 2018: Adeleke’s hopes in the balance as court orders WAEC to produce results in 5 days

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Bwari, Abuja, has ordered the West African Examination Council to produce the results recorded by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in the May/June 1981 examinations conducted by the council.

Justice O. A Musa, ruling on an ex parte application by two plaintiffs, Mr. Wahab Raheem and Mr. Adam Habeeb, ordered the examination body to produce in court the ledger containing results of Ademola and his mates with whom he sat for the examinations.

He also ordered that WAEC swear an affidavit either denying or confirming that Adeleke, the senator representing Osun West Senatorial District in the Senate, sat for the Council’s May/June 1981 examinations conducted by the Council at Ede Muslim High School in Ede, Osun State.

The court ordered that WAEC file the ledger and the verifying affidavits within five days of being served with the enrolled order.

Adeleke, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Osun State governorship poll slated for September 22, has been accused of forging his WAEC certificate, a charge he has denied.

The two plaintiffs, Raheem and Habeeb, had filed a suit seeking Adeleke’s disqualification as the PDP’s candidate for the Osun State governorship election.

They joined Adeleke, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first, second and the third defendants, respectively.

Read also: As the storms rage, Ambode reassures supporters— ‘Tinubu and I are not in any fight’

The had, on September 4, filed their ex parte application dated September 3, seeking, among other prayers, an interim injunction against the senator’s candidacy in the imminent governorship race.

On September 11, the plaintiffs’ counsel, B.J Komolafe, moved the ex parte application.
Ruling shortly after hearing the lawyer, the judge granted other prayers but refused the applicants’ prayer for restraining order.

The judge refused to grant an order restraining INEC from recognising or giving effect to Adeleke’s nomination as PDP’s governorship candidate in the election.

The judge also refused to grant another prayer by the applicants requesting an order directing or mandating Adeleke to show cause on why the court should not disqualify him from contesting the Osun State governorship election.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now