The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to officially recognize Chief Olusola Nehemiah and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s, LP, governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the upcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election.
The court ruled that Nehemiah and Awude are entitled to all the rights and privileges as candidates for the governorship election scheduled for November 16 in Ondo State.
Delivering the judgment on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite stated that the second primary election conducted by the Labour Party, which produced Nehemiah and Awude, was legitimate and must be acknowledged by INEC.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, Justice Nwite confirmed that Nehemiah had made a N20 million payment to the United Bank for Africa, UBA, for the Labour Party’s nomination form, which led to the second primary election.
The court also noted that Nehemiah had complied with party directives to pay N5 million to one Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus, as part of an agreement following Festus’s withdrawal from the gubernatorial race.
Justice Nwite criticized the Julius Abure-led Labour Party leadership for attempting to dismiss the legitimacy of the primary election that selected Nehemiah and Awude, after all required conditions had been fulfilled.
As a result, the court ordered INEC to accept and publish the names of Nehemiah and Awude as the Labour Party’s lawful candidates for the Ondo State governorship election.
(Daily Post)
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