Appeal Court sacks Nwoko as PDP senator-elect, reinstates Nwaoboshi

Ekiti stakeholders want NWC to sanction Fayose, they’re not party members, says ex-governor

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has reversed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which sacked Senator Peter Nwaoboshi as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Delta North senatorial seat.The three-man panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Mohammed Idris, in a unanimous judgment, held that the suit filed by Nwoko was statute barred and that Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ought not to have heard the case and given the judgment in favour of Nwoko.

Justice Mohammed had in the April 3, 2019 judgment sacked Nwaoboshi as the PDP candidate for the last election in Delta North Senatorial District and among others, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept Nwoko as the party’s candidate and winner of the said election held on February 23, 2019.

But miffed by the judgment of the trial court, Nwaoboshi headed to the appellate court to seek redress.The Court of Appeal, however, set aside the judgment of Federal High Court and struck out Nwoko’s suit.In the lead judgment, Justice Idris held: “By the time the matter was instituted at the trial court, the action was statute barred having commenced outside the 14 days allowed by the law.”“This appeal is allowed, and consequently, the order of the lower court is set aside and the suit is struck out” Justice Idris held.

Justice Idris also dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Nwoko. Meanwhile, some concerned PDP Stakeholders in Ekiti State have urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to sanction former Governor Ayodele Fayose for alleged anti-party activities during the 2019 general elections.

In a communiqué at the end of its meeting in Ifaki-Ekiti yesterday, the group frowned on the party’s refusal to sanction Fayose, in spite of his alleged misdemeanour during the polls.“Fayose campaigned against the PDP and its candidates in the last elections and has not been checked or sanctioned by the NWC,” it lamented.

The communiqué was signed by delegates across the 16 councils of the state at the meeting chaired by Dr. Jimi Oke, with former Acting Governor, Tunji Odeyemi, Kehinde Odebunmi and others in attendance.

But reacting to the development, Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the gathering, saying those in attendance were not PDP members.