NASS election: Court nullifies Smart Adeyemis candidature, orders fresh primary

Ahead of the rescheduled National Assembly election slated for this Saturday, a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, on Monday, called for a fresh primary to the Kogi West senatorial district of Kogi State as Justice Inyang Ekwo nullified the primary election of Senator Smart Adeyemi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).In hisruling, the judge averred that the primary election that gave the senator the candidature of the party did not follow due process of Section 87 of Electoral Act 2010 as amended.The judge ordered that a fresh primary election be held before the coming National Assembly election coming up on Saturday.He also enjoined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop recognising the senator as PDP senatorial standard-bearer.Former Kogi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and a senatorial aspirant, Chief Joseph Faniyi, and eight others, who on behalf of other party delegates from Yagba West, Yagba East, Mopa Moro and Kogi Local Government Areas of the state, had dragged Senator Adeyemi, PDP and INEC to court over the manner the primary election was conducted on January 28, this year.The case has Philip Abalaka as counsel for the plaintiffs and W. Manmman as counsel for the defendants.Reacting to the ruling, the state PDP legal adviser, Umoru Mohammed, said that the party was ready to obey the court order, adding that the state office had already notified the national secretariatof the party over the development.He further said that the party would take a decision over the development so as to ensure that it field a candidate in the Saturday election.
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