THE Ondo State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has distanced itself from a lawsuit filed by its candidate, Olugbenga Edema, which challenges the candidacy of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During a session at the Federal High Court in Akure, Ondo State’s capital, a letter from NNPP’s National Legal Adviser, Robert Hon, was presented, clarifying that the party did not authorize any legal action against Aiyedatiwa and Adelami. The party requested that its name be removed from the lawsuit.
In the original suit, Edema sought to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revoke the nominations and publication of Aiyedatiwa and Adelami as APC candidates.
He also requested the court to interpret Section 15 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) concerning the nomination of the APC candidates.
However, legal representatives for Aiyedatiwa, Adelami, INEC, and APC urged the court to dismiss the case due to lack of jurisdiction and the plaintiffs’ lack of standing.
The defendants were represented by Dr. Remi Olatubora SAN, Kola Olawoye SAN, and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN for Governor Aiyedatiwa; Chief Charles Edosomwan SAN for INEC; and Adelanke Akinrata, among others.
Adegboruwa highlighted the NNPP’s letter disassociating the party from the suit following the APC primary that nominated Aiyedatiwa. The letter, dated December 10, 2024, and addressed to Akinrata, requested the court to remove the NNPP’s name from the suit.
The letter stated: “We hereby instruct you to represent our interest in Suit No. FHC/AK/CS/103/2024, wherein we were purported to have sued the defendants as the 2nd Plaintiff. You are specifically instructed to withdraw the name of the 2nd Plaintiff, New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), from the suit.”
Adegboruwa then asked the plaintiff’s counsel to withdraw the case for the court to strike it out.
In response, Olatubora argued that the letter presented by the State Chairman of the NNPP, Peter Olagookun, confirmed the party’s stance.
Edema’s legal counsel, Abayomi Ojo, stated that Edema was unaware of the letter and requested time to review its contents, seeking an adjournment.
The presiding judge, Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke, noted that the court had five months to rule on the matter, which was filed in November 2024. The case was subsequently adjourned to February 3, 2025, for a hearing.
