Court stops Ondo electoral body from conducting LG polls

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has barred the State
Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) from conducting the local
government elections scheduled for December 1.

In a suit marked Ak/195/2018 and filed by the Idowu Otetubi led
faction of the state's chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC
against the party's chairman in the state, Ade Adetimehin, the State
Executive Committee of the party, the APC as well as the Ondo State
Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), the applicant had prayed
that the court should restrain the 4th defendant which is ODIEC from
accepting any lists of candidates from the Adetimehin led faction of
the party ahead of the December 1 local government polls.

Justice Kolawole of the Ondo State High Court after hearing the
submission of the applicant's counsel, Tolu Babaleye, granted the
prayer of the applicants and gave an order of interim injunction
restraining ODIEC from conducting the LG polls pending the
determination of the case.

"The 4th defendants respondent is retrained in the interim from
entertaining, honouring or welcoming any list of candidate emanating
from any purported primary election conducted by the 1st defendant-led
State Executive Committee for the 3rd defendant for the purpose of the
local government election in Ondo State slated for 1st December, 2018
pending the determination of the motion on notice filed by the
claimants," the court ruled.

The motion on notice was subsequently adjourned for hearing till
Monday, September 17.

With this development, more crisis seems to be in the offing for the
Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the party
struggles with series of challenges battling it.

Apart from the recent indirect/direct primary tussle which has further
polarized the party in the state, the party is now faced with
litigation ahead of the local government election scheduled to hold on
the 1st of December.