The Ogun State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a swipe at the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and its candidate at the March 9, governorship election, on their plan to approach the Supreme Court, saying “court judgement is not for sale”
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, had on Monday, November 11, 2019, dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement in Ogun State, Adekunle Akinlade against the victory of the governor of the state and candidate of the APC, Dapo Abiodun in the last governorship election in the state.
In a unanimous decision, the Appeal court justices said the appeal “lacks merit and it is therefore struck out.” In the lead judgment, Justice Muhammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma declared that the 10 grounds filed by the Akinlade and his party challenging the victory of Abiodun have no merits and that the two appellants were overruled because of lack of merit. The judgement read inter alia “The respective objections raised by the two respondents are overruled and the emotions have no remit, answers to them are sustained and the two motions are dismissed.”
However, the APM and it’s candidate told the media last weekend that they will be approaching the Supreme Court as the last port of call in gubernatorial election petition. In a media statement on Thursday, the Publicity Secretary of APC in Ogun State, Tunde Oladunjoye said the “APM and it’s candidates are serial losers who are merely shadow chasing”.
The statement read further: “our party, the APC has unshakeable confidence in the judiciary, the APM and its candidate are serial losers who are merely shadow-chasing and being goaded by a senator, another well known serial loser at tribunals”.
“Prince Dapo Abiodun won unanimously at the Ogun Governorship Petition Tribunal, we also won unanimously at the Appeal Court, they should be told that despite the boasts of their main sponsor, the court judgement is not for sale.”
“The three-man state governorship election petitions tribunal, led by Justice Yusuf Halilu, while dismissing the petition and upholding Abiodun’s election, described Akinlade’s petition, challenging Abiodun’s victory, as “lazy and destined to fail”.
“This has exposed the lack of depth, procedurally contaminated and virus-invested petition to the whole world. The reason why they want to go to the Supreme Court is driven by the empty boast of the Senator financing APM, who is dropping the name of Mr. President.”
“We advise them to get off their phantom horse and stop dragging the name of Mr. President into disrepute. The court is not for traders, neither is the apex court’s judgement for sale.”
