The Court of Appeal will on Tuesday afternoon continue hearing in a case that will determine who the candidate of the PDP in Saturday’s governorship election will be.
Jimoh Ibrahim and Eyitayo Jegede, chosen by two different factions of the party, seek to be the candidate with Mr. Ibrahim currently recognised by INEC.
The Court may also decide who the rightful candidate is after hearing arguments from all parties.
Tuesday’s decision by the Appeal Court follows a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the day ordering the lower court to continue hearing the matter.
The Supreme Court dismissed an application filed by a factional leader of the PDP in Ondo State, Biyi Poroye, who is of Mr. Ibrahim’s faction.
Mr. Poroye, a factional chairman of the PDP asked the court to determine the jurisdiction of a panel set up by the Appeal Court President, Zainab Bulkachuwa.
The panel was created after a petition filed by Mr. Poroye’s counsel, Beluolisah Nwofor, accused the former panel led by Jummai Sankey of fraud.
Following that petition, the first panel under Ms. Sankey’s leadership withdrew their participation in the matter on November 1.
Days later, Ms. Bulkachuwa instituted the new panel, led by Ibrahim Salauwa.
But dissatisfied with the decision, Mr. Poroye, through his counsel, made another request demanding the dissolution of the new panel.
When that application was refused by the appellate court, he (Mr. Poroye) approached the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court. He also prayed the highest court to compel the lower court to suspend sitting.
On October 18, the Appeal Court suspended its sitting till further directive was received from the highest court of law.
On Tuesday a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, dismissed the application for lacking in merit.
The court also asked Mr. Nwofor to pay over N5 million as damages for abusing the panel at the appellate court.
-Premium Times
