The Abuja Court of Appeal rejected an appeal presented to it against Ahmed Usman Ododo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer selected for the state’s November 11 governorship election, on Friday.
The appeal was filed by Senator Smart Adeyemi.
The appeal argued by Adekunle Oladapo Otitoju on behalf of Senator Adeyemi was declared wholly without merit by the appellate court, and it was dismissed.
Adeyemi, who most recently represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate, was found to have failed appallingly to prove the serious criminal claims made against the conduct of the primary election by the APC and its leaders, according to a three-judge panel of justices’ unanimous judgement.
All three of the matters in contention against Adeyemi were resolved by Justice Mohammed Lawal Shuaib, who also wrote the lead judgement.
The charges of manipulation and falsification of the results of the primary election made by Adeyemi, according to Justice Shuaib, should have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, as required by law.
Additionally, he rejected the appellant’s claim that the APC Appeal Committee had treated him unfairly in response to his petition challenging the alleged irregularities in the primary election.
According to Justice Shuaib, the Court of Appeal cannot consider a new argument on the denial of a fair hearing because it was not raised in his original summons to the Federal High Court.
Adeyemi’s statements remained merely assertions, the Court of Appeal found, and could not have any probative value in the absence of strong, verifiable proof on his behalf.
Justice Shuaib then decided the appeal lacked merit and dismissed it.
The Federal High Court in Abuja’s ruling on July 12 that Adeyemi had failed to establish his claims that Ododo had not been legitimately nominated by the APC was affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
