The Federal High Court in Ibadan on Tuesday fixed March 23 to hear the preliminary objection to the suit challenging the eligibility of Seyi Makinde as the Social Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate.
Two members of the SDP, Oluwagbemiga Boyede and Rasak Adegboyega, had dragged Mr. Makinde, the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission to court.
The plaintiffs had claimed that the party’s primaries of December 6, 2014, produced Samson Aworinde as the governorship candidate and not Mr. Makinde.
They therefore urged the court to direct INEC not to recognise Mr. Makinde as the SDP governorship candidate for the April 11 election.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, Justice Ayo Emmanuel adjourned the case till March 23 following the request by counsel to Mr. Makinde and SDP to be given time to respond to the plaintiffs’ counter affidavit.
Yakub Fadare, the counsel to Mr. Makinde, had raised a preliminary objection to the suit, contending that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
However, the case, which was adjourned to March 9, was stalled because the plaintiffs’ counsel, Adenle Adeloye, failed to serve the counter affidavits on the defendants.
(NAN)
