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Court Dismisses Osun PDP’s Suit Seeking 2011 Elections’ Reversal

A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has dismissed an application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking a mandatory … Continue reading Court Dismisses Osun PDP’s Suit Seeking 2011 Elections’ Reversal


courtA Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has dismissed an application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking a mandatory order of reversal of the 2011 National and State House of Assembly elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun state.

Justice Babs Kuewumi while delivering his ruling said the court had ‎no jurisdiction to hear or rule on the suit, stating that only an election petition tribunal had the authority to hear any matter relating to elections.

Justice Kuewumi said although the second defendant, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, as at the time of the said election in question, did not obey the court order which restrained him from conducting the elections, the court had no jurisdiction to hear the suit.

While the INEC counsel declined to speak to the press, counsel to the PDP, Mr Kehinde Adesiyan, described the the ruling as erudite but maintained that the judgement would be appealed.

He stressed that since the case falls under pre-election matter, it doesn’t require an election tribunal to hear it.

The Peoples Democratic Party is seeking among other things the reversal of the elections as well as the withdrawal of certificates of return to the winners of the 2011 elections conducted which saw the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress clearing all the seats to the National and State House of Assembly.