2023: Court affirms Aro as APC candidate for Ikorodu constituency 2

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has affirmed the candidacy of Mr Abiodun Moshood Aro as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer for Ikorodu Constituency 2 election in 2023.

WesternPost reports that Aro was elected the APC candidate for the Ikorodu constituency 2 in a primary election held on 27th May, 2022.

Aro’s candidacy was later challenged in court by one of the aspirants, Mr Oluwatosin Onamade, who prayed that his election be nullified and that he should be declared lawful candidate of the party.

Delivering the judgement in the suit filed by Onamade against APC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Aro, the presiding judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo agreed that the 3rd Defendant’s counsel, Abbas Oyeyemi upheld the preliminary objection filed by the 3rd Respondent’s counsel.

The court further held that the Plaintiff’s suit was statute barred having been filed outside the time frame stipulated by section 285 (9) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

The court also ruled on the substantive Originating Summons filed by the Plaintiff and held that the Plaintiff failed to establish his claims that the primary election conducted by APC on 27th May, 2022 was not conducted in accordance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022.

The court therefore dismissed the Plaintiff’s claim in it’s entirety and awarded N50,000 against the Plaintiff in favour of the 3rd Defendant.