Adeoti asks court to void Oyetola’s victory

The battle for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has shifted to the court. Moshood Adeoti, who lost to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in the primary election at the weekend, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to declare him winner of the shadow poll. In the direct primary conducted by a committee, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasak, the governor polled 222,169 votes to beat Adeoti, who scored 12, 921 votes and former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, who got 460 votes. Adeoti was supported by Minister of Interior and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Supporters of the plaintiff had previously challenged the outcome of the ward and local government congresses in court at Osogbo and Ikire. The cases were dismissed. But Adeoti prayed the court for a declaration that he was the validly nominated candidate. Adeoti further prayed the court to declare that Oyetola was not qualified to contest under the party’s constitution, because he is an officer of the party. He also sought, among others, an order directing the APC to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the validly nominated candidate, rather than Oyetola. Adeoti, the plaintiff, made the prayers in his originating summons in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/203 filed through his counsel, Chiesonu Okpoko, SAN. The APC, Oyetola and INEC, who are the 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, are yet to file a reply.