Court Begins Sitting on Fayemi’s Eligibility to Contest Ekiti APC Guber Primary

An Ado Ekiti Federal High Court has begun sitting in the suit filed by former governor Segun Oni challenging the eligibility of Governor Kayode Fayemi to contest the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries as a sitting minister.

The matter, which was transferred from a Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the Federal High Court Ado Ekiti, came up Monday in Ado Ekiti.

An aspirant in the primaries who is also a lawyer, Mr Ajayi Olowo, approached the court to be joined in the suit as an interested party.

Olowo prayed the court to join him in the suit so as to hasten hearing in the case, saying the applicant, Oni, has no case and that his application should be dismissed.

Earlier, the counsel to the applicant, Chief Anthony Adeniyi, filed a motion to amend the applicant’s response to the preliminary objection of the defendant, Dr Fayemi.

Adeniyi also urged the court to give accelerated hearing and determination of the case, saying there was no time on the side of the court.

He said: “The expiration of the matter according to law which stipulated 180 days to hear the matter would expire on December 19.”

The lead counsel to the defendant (Fayemi), Mr Rafiu Balogun, prayed the court to grant them the privilege of addressing the court orally since they had not filed their own written amendment to counter the written application of the plaintiff in order to save the time of the court.

Justice Uche Agomoh adjourned ruling on whether Olowo could join the other defendants until Tuesday.

Agomoh told the two parties to file and serve each other the written applications before noon on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Oni’s counsel raised security concerns as he alleged that “some party supporters attempted to stop him from accessing the court area but for the quick intervention of police who ferried him to the court premises”.

But Balogun allayed his fears, assuring him that he would contact the defendant and applicant on security matter, adding that Fayemi and Oni were members of the same APC family.(NAN)