Aspirants sue ADC, Ladoja, Koleoso, Soji Akanbi over senatorial, reps, assembly tickets

A senatorial aspirant under the platform of the African Democratic
Congress (ADC) in Oyo State, Mr. Olatunji Haastrup Adewale has
approached a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan praying the court to
compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject
the senator representing Oyo South, Mr. Soji Akanbi, as the candidate
of the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Other aspirants of the party, who were joined as plaintiffs in the
suit number FHC/IB/CS/113/2018: Aderemi Olatunji Olajide; Olasunbo
Olalekan Olakunle; Seun Segun Akinborewa; Abass Alesinloye Kolawole
Olabimtan and Hon. Olufemi Josiah, also prayed the court to, in the
same manner, reject the ADC's nomination of Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun,
Adeyemi Adekunle Yakub, Gaphar Ojetola and Abiola Ahmed Akindipe, as
candidates for Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency,
Ibadan North East 2, Ibadan North 1 and Ibadan North West
respectively.

DAILY POST recalls that the party had, in the last few weeks, been
enmeshed in what many of the aspirants described as impunity and
imposition of candidates.

This has made some of the gubernatorial aspirants of the party to
approach a federal High Court in Abuja, urging it to reject the
candidature of Senator Olufemi Lanlehin as the gubernatorial candidate
of the party due to what the aspirants described as imposition.

Other defendants alongside Senator Akanbi in the suit jointly
instituted by Olatunji Haastrup Adewale, Aderemi Olatunji E. Olajide,
Olasunbo Olalekan Olakunle, Seun Segun Akinborewa, Abass Alesinloye
Kolawole Olabimtan and Hon. Olufemi Josiah, are: the ADC National
Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu, National Vice Chairman, Dr.
Dele Ajadi, National Secretary, Alhaji Saidi Baba Abdullahi and
National legal adviser, Mr. Peter Oyewole, who doubles as the
Chairman, Oyo state primary screening committee of ADC.

Also joined as defendants are the State Chairman, Dr. Ahmed Ayinla,
Mr. Wasiu Olatubosun; Adeyemi Adekunle Yakub; Gaphar Ojetola; Abiola
Ahmed Akindipe; Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja; Chief Michael Koleoso;
Dr. Busari Adebisi; Chief Layiwola Olakojo and the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The contentious constituencies, according to the plaintiffs in the
suit filed by their counsel Olusola A. Dare, are: the Oyo South
Senatorial District; Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West constituency,
Ibadan North East II; Ibadan North West and Ibadan North I
constituencies respectively.

The plaintiffs are seeking court's determination on whether the ADC
can nominate a candidate or submit the name of a candidate to the INEC
as its candidates to contest Senatorial, House of Representatives and
House of Assembly elections without complying with the mandatory
provisions of the Section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended),
Article 20 of the constitution of the ADC and guidelines for party
screening and primary elections for the 2019 general elections?

They are also asking the court to determine if the said Section 87 and
Article 20 of the constitution of ADC has not been violated and
discountenanced especially if the INEC and the 5th defendant (ADC
Legal Adviser, Peter Oyewole) go ahead in fielding them for the 2019
elections?

Towards this end, the plaintiffs prayed the court to make a
declaration that the ADC cannot nominate a candidate or submit name of
any person to the INEC as its nominated candidate for the Oyo South
Senatorial district; Ibadan North West/South West Federal
Constituency; State Assembly for Ibadan North East 2, Ibadan North
West and Ibadan North 1 state constituencies of Oyo state without
complying with the provision of the said Section 87 of the Electoral
Act, 2010 (as amended) and Article 20 of the constitution of the ADC
2018 (as amended) and guidelines for party screening and primary
elections for the 2019 general elections.

They are also seeking a declaration that the name of candidates
submitted for Oyo South Senatorial district, House of Representative
federal constituency and Ibadan North 1 state constituency house of
Assembly, Ibadan North East and Ibadan North West State constituency
2, Ibadan North West state constituency be discountenanced.

The plaintiffs, while praying the court to direct INEC to
discountenance or reject name of any candidate submitted to it by the
1st-6th and 12th-15th defendants as the candidates for the affected
senatorial, federal and state constituencies, also prayed for an order
of injunction to restrain the INEC, the 16th defendant from accepting,
recognising, giving effect to, or in any manner, acting on the list of
nominated candidates submitted to it by the ADC, Nwosu, Dele Ajadi,
Peter Oyewole, Ladoja, Koleoso, Adebisi and Olakojo for the 2019
elections.