Court Rejects Suit To Stop Kola Abiola As PRP Presidential Candidate

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by an aspirant, Madam Patience Key, challenging Kola Abiola’s emergence as the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP)

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, who gave the ruling on Thursday, December 22, 2022, held that the suit was statute barred; hence, the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.

Noting that the suit was a pre-election matter, Justice Mohammed held that it ought to have been instituted within 14 days from the date of the occurrence of the cause of action, in compliance with Section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution.

He agreed with the defendants that though the PRP presidential primary election was conducted on June 5, 2022, the plaintiff filed the suit on June 28, when the case ought to have been instituted, not later than June 19, 2022.

Furthermore, the Judge said despite the fact that Madam Key had raised weighty allegations against the conduct of the poll, including her claims that it was marred by irregularities, vote-buying, non-compliance with Section 84 of the Electoral Act, and gross violations of the party’s guidelines for the conduct of primaries, those could not take preeminence over failure to file the case within the time prescribed by law.

Consequently, the Court dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction to hear it, having been statute barred.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the plaintiff, Madam Key, had, on June 28, sued PRP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Mr. Latifu Abiola, as first, second and third defendants.

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