Ekiti guber: Oni asks court to drop Fayemi’s APC candidacy

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, has challenged Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Oni, a governorship aspirant of the APC in Ekiti state, wants the court to nullify candidacy of Dr. Fayemi as the party’s governorship and declare him the authentic candidate of the APC in the July 14 election.
Fayemi defeated Oni at the primary on May 12, polling a total of 941 votes, some 16 days before he formally resigned from his post as Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development.
But Oni has asked the court to determine if it was proper for the former minister to contest in the primaries without resigning as a member of the federal cabinet.
“Whether by virtue of All Progressives Congress constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of All Progressive Congress 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the A.P.C Governorship primaries conducted on the 12th May, 2018, the 1st Defendant being a serving member of the Federal Executive and Federal Minister of Solid Minerals, Mines and Steel Development having not resigned his appointment as a member of Federal Executive and Minister of Solid Mineral, Mines and Steel Development, at all or at least 30 days to the said primaries election of 12th May, 2018 was qualified to contest and participate in the said All Progressive Congress Governorship primaries of 12th May, 2018 as an aspirant in that election,” the document read.
“Whether by virtue of All Progressive Congress Constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of All Progressive Congress 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the A.P.C Governorship primaries conducted on the 12th May, 2018, at Damilek Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti for the purpose of determining or nominating the 2nd Defendant candidate for the 12th July Ekiti State Governorship election, the 1st Defendant having being indicted by Rtd. Hon. Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry was qualified to contest and participate in the said All Progressives Congress Governorship primary of 12th May, 2018 as an aspirant in that election.”
Among the reliefs Oni is seeking is “a declaration that the claimant (Oni) having scored 481 votes which is the majority of lawful and valid votes at the 2nd Defendant (APC) 12th May, 2018, Governorship primary election for the purpose of determining the 2nd Defendant’s candidate for the 14th July 2018 election for the office of Governor Ekiti State is the person that was validly nominated by the 2nd Defendant for the 14th July, 2018 election for the office of Governor, Ekiti state.”