he Ondo State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has disowned the suit instituted by its candidate, Olugbenga Edema, challenging the candidature of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) and his deputy, Olayide Adelami.
At the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital on Wednesday, a letter written by the National Legal Adviser of NNPP, Robert Hon, stating that the party did not authorise any suit against the candidacy of Aiyedatiwa and Adelami Deputy was presented. Hence the party requested that its name be withdrawn from the suit.
The NNPP governorship candidate had, in a suit, asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the nomination and the publication of the names of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Edema, in the suit, asked the court to interpret the applicability of Section 15 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) over the nomination of the APC candidates.
However, the legal counsels of Aiyedatiwa, Adelami, INEC, and APC asked the court to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction and because the plaintiffs lacked locus standing to file it.
The defendants were represented by Dr. Remi Olatubora SAN, Kola Olawoye SAN, and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, who represented Governor Aiyedatiwa; Chief Charles Edosomwan SAN, who represented INEC; and Adelanke Akinrata, among others.
Adegboruwa, a counsel to Aiyedatiwa brought to the attention of the court a letter written by the legal adviser of the NNPP that dissociated the party from the suit over the outcome of the APC’s primary that produced Aiyedatiwa as a candidate.
The letter from the office of the National Legal Adviser dated December 10, 2024, and addressed to Adelanke Akinrata titled “Letter of Instructions,” asked the court to delist its name from the suit.
The letter partly reads: “The above-captioned subject matter refers. We hereby brief 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.
“The second plaintiff did not instruct the first plaintiff or anybody to sue the defendants in its name. You are requested to liaise with the office of the National Legal Adviser for further details.”
Consequently, Adegboruwa asked the counsel of the plaintiff to withdraw the suit for the court to strike out the case.
In his own argument, Olatubora said the fact that the letter by the NNPP was brought to the court by the State Chairman of the party, Peter Olagookun, showed the authenticity of the position of the party.
Responding, the legal counsel to Edema, Abayomi Ojo, said that the candidate was not aware of the letter and would need time to study the content.
He sought an adjournment of the case to have enough time to respond to the letter.
The presiding judge, Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke, said the court has five months to adjudicate on the matter, which suit was filed in November 2024.
Subsequently, the judge adjourned the case till February 3, 2025 for a hearing.
