Ikuforiji, Rep win at Appeal Court

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and the member representing Alimosho Federal Constituency, Adeola Solomon, have won their final election battle.The Court of Appeal, Lagos, in separate judgments on Wednesday, dismissed the notices of appeal filed against them by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidates.The Election Petitions Tribunal had earlier dismissed the petitions filed against Ikuforiji and Solomon, both of the Action Congress of Nigeria.Dissatisfied, the petitioners approached the appellate court seeking the setting aside of the tribunals decisions.The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal filed by Mrs. Olajumoke Sawyer against Ikuforiji over undue delay in filing her brief of argument.The appellate court, in another judgment delivered by Justice John Okoro, dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP against Solomon.The court held that the appeal filed by Mr. Segun Adewale against Solomon lacked merit.In the petition against Ikuforiji, Justice K. B Akaahs said Sawyer, in her appeal, failed to file her brief of argument within the time frame specified by the rules guiding election matters.The court rejected the explanation of her counsel, Mr. Deji Fasusi, that the delay was due to the ill health of the counsel handling the matter.Akaahs said, "The appellants application for extension of time was only filed this morning (Wednesday), there is undue delay in prosecuting the appeal; the appellants application for extension of time is hereby refused."I hold that the appellant did not file her brief within time, hence the appeal stands dismissed."The court also awarded cost of N25,000 in favour of the respondent.Sawyer had argued in her petition at the tribunal that Ikuforiji should not have been declared the winner of the April 26 election as he allegedly falsified some documents he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.But the tribunal held that such matter fell outside its jurisdiction.
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