By Charles Maduka
The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has said it is reviewing the judgment of the Federal High Court that dismissed its suit challenging the appointment of the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye. The party said it would decide its next line of action after a careful study of the ruling.
The court, sitting in Osogbo, dismissed the suit filed by the APC against Abioye’s appointment, citing lack of jurisdiction. The party had argued that Abioye was a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party and therefore not qualified to head the electoral commission. It also sought an order restraining him from acting as chairman and a declaration that Governor Ademola Adeleke could not nominate him for the position.
In her judgment, Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi held that the suit was incompetent because the Osun State House of Assembly, listed as a defendant, was not served the mandatory three-month pre-action notice required by law. The judge ruled that the failure to comply with this legal requirement deprived the court of jurisdiction to hear the matter, leading to the dismissal of the case.
Reacting to the ruling, Abioye described the judgment as a validation of his appointment and actions as chairman of OSSIEC. He said the decision had put to rest all legal challenges against his office and praised the judiciary for upholding due process, stressing that justice was served not because the judgment favoured him, but because the law was properly applied.
Meanwhile, the Director of Research and Publicity of the Osun APC, Kola Olabisi, said the party was still studying the judgment before determining its next steps. He noted that the party and the Adeleke administration had been involved in several legal disputes over local government elections, adding that such cases had continued to affect governance at the local council level in the state.
Leave a Reply