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The Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, on Monday, affirmed a former House of Representatives representing Akure North/South Federal Constituency, Prince Abiodun Derin Adesida, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the federal constituency.
Adesida was declared winner of the APC primary election conducted on May 27, 2022, in Akure after scoring 65 delegate votes to defeat the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Mayokun Lawson-Alade who secured 44 votes and Dennis Fadairo who polled three votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the primary, Lawson-Alade approached the court while praying the court to declare him as the party’s candidate.
Delivering her judgment on Monday, Justice Adefunmilola. A. Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court, dismissed the suit over the failure of the applicant to join Adesida in the suit and affirmed the election of Adesida as the APC standard bearer.
The court said including the defendant in the suit was necessary and said grating the applicant’s prayer would amount to the violation of the fundamental human rights of the winner of the primary election to fair hearing.
Justice Demi-Ajayi also said that the purported report of the APC Appeal Committee relied upon by Lawson-Alade could not be used to invalidate the outcome of the primary election won by Adesida.
According to the judge, the applicant also failed to go through all the crisis-resolving mechanisms of the APC required by the constitution of the party before approaching the court.
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She, however, dismissed the suit and declared Adesida as the APC candidate for the Federal Constituency in next year’s National Assembly elections.
In his reaction to the judgment, Adesida said there was no victor, no vanquished in the matter, appealing to Lawson-Alade and his supporters to sheathe their swords.
He said: “In this matter, I don’t see anybody as the victor or the vanquished. The legal process we just went through is normal in every democratic setting.
“We are members of the same APC family. We have the interest of our Federal Constituency and our people at heart. I believe that’s why we are longing to serve them.
“By now, the storm should be over. I appeal to my dear brother, Mayokun, and his supporters to sheathe their swords. Let us come together and ensure victory for our party in the 2023 general elections.
“I promise there won’t be any form of discrimination against anyone. We all belong to the same family.”
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