Victory For LP As Appeal Court Rules In Favour Of Its Lawmaker
The Court of Appeal in Lagos has ruled in favour of the Labour Party, LP, candidate in an election tussle.
The Appeal Court confirmed the election victory of George Olawande Adegeye, the representative for Amuwo-Odofin Constituency in the House of Representatives.
This decision comes after petitions filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), along with their respective candidates, challenging Adegeye’s win in the February 25 election were dismissed.
The main issue revolved around Adegeye’s sponsorship by the LP and his prior membership in the party before the election. However, the Court of Appeal panel, comprising Justices M.L. Shuaib, J.E Ekanem, and P.A Bassi, unanimously ruled that the appellants had no authority to dictate a political party’s membership or select its candidate for an election.
The Justices, agreeing with Adegeye and LP’s counsel, upheld an objection stating that the case was a pre-election matter and fell outside the jurisdiction of the National Assembly Petition Tribunal. As a result, the appeals were struck down.
Muyiwa Ogunkolade, Adegeye’s counsel, argued that the nomination and sponsorship matters were internal party affairs and external parties had no right to challenge them. Ogunkolade expressed that the litigation was unnecessary, given Adegeye’s clear victory with 46,702 valid votes, compared to the APC candidate’s 12,946 votes.
Adegeye, in response to the judgment, dedicated his win to his late mother, the constituents of Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, and the Labour Party members. He emphasized the importance of leaving a lasting legacy and expressed his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises, ensuring quality representation in the Federal Parliament.
He extended an olive branch to the appellants, urging them to join him in the collective task of advancing Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency. He emphasized that the time for litigation had ended, and it was now the era for governance.
