An Aide to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Ismail Omipidan has appealed to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to remain calm in the face of the decision of a Federal High Court that nullified his candidature in the July 16 gubernatorial election.
In a statement made available to DAILY POST on Friday in Osogbo, Oyetola’s Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, said the governor’s lawyers were getting set to challenge the decision of the Federal High Court at the Appeal Court.
He also expressed confidence that the decision would be set aside when it goes to appeal.
“The case was instituted by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite the fact there is a plethora of decisions flowing from the apex court that frowns upon such a decision.
“For the records, the position of the law is that only members of the APC who participated in the primary election can approach the court to challenge the nomination of Oyetola as the candidate of the party.
“All these are part of the antics of the opposition PDP and some of their collaborators from within to distract us. But like every of their plans, this too has fallen flat on their faces.
“They want to distract us from the tribunal case. But we shall remain focused until we take back our mandate. We have confidence in the Tribunal to do justice in the case before it, just as we have implicit confidence in the Appeal Court to set aside this latest decision of the Federal High Court,” Omipidan said.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Friday nullified the nomination of the Osun Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and that of his Deputy, Benedict Alabi in their participation in the July 16, Osun gubernatorial.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite while giving the order in a judgment declared as null and void, the nomination of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Benedict Alabi by the APC.
The decision of the court was predicated on the ground that Governor Mai Mala Buni who submitted their names to INEC violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The court also held that Governor Buni holding dual executive positions as the Governor of Yobe State and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the APC acted in contravention of the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court held that the decisions taken by Governor Mai Mala Buni, including forwarding the names of Governor Isiaka Oyetola and Benedict Alabi to INEC, amounted to a nullity in law.
