The Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and recognize Chief Olusola Nehemiah and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party (LP)’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the upcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election.
The court’s ruling, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite on Friday, ensures that Nehemiah and Awude will be afforded all rights and privileges associated with their candidacies for the November 16 poll.
This landmark decision came during a joint suit filed against INEC and other parties by the Labour Party, Nehemiah, and Awude.
Justice Nwite’s judgment, referenced as suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, upheld the legitimacy of the second primary election held by the Labour Party, which resulted in the selection of Nehemiah and Awude as candidates.
The judge noted that evidence was presented indicating that Nehemiah had deposited ₦20 million into the United Bank for Africa (UBA) account of the Labour Party to secure his nomination form, leading to the conduct of the subsequent primary election.
Furthermore, Justice Nwite pointed out that Nehemiah was required to pay an additional ₦5 million to Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as reimbursement for expenses following his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race.
The ruling emphasized that the actions taken by the Julius Abure-led Labour Party in disowning the new primary election were both wrong and illegal, as all necessary conditions had been met for the election to be recognized.
Consequently, the court ordered INEC to formally accept the nominations of Nehemiah and Awude, instructing the commission to publish their names as lawful candidates representing the Labour Party in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election.
