By A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has fined the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last Saturday’s Lagos East senatorial district bye-election, Babatunde Gbadamosi.
Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Tokunbo Abiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election.
The PDP and its candidate, Gbadamosi had filled a suit before the Federal High Court, Lagos seeking for the disqualification of the APC candidate over his alleged possession of two voter cards and violation of Section 31 of the Electoral Act. In response, the APC, through their lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) filed a preliminary objection. The said matter was adjourned till December 9, for hearing.
INEC, Abiru and the APC are the first to third defendants respectively in the suit marked, FHC/L/CS/1361/2020.
In his ruling, Justice Chuka Obiozor, on Wednesday, December 9, slammed a N20,000 fine sequel to the withdrawal of a motion filed by Gbadamosi’s counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN).
The court upheld the submission of Abiru’s counsel, on the status of the motion and ordered that N10,000 be paid in favour of the APC and another N10,000 in favour of Mr Abiru.
At the last hearing of the suit, the court fined the PDP candidate N40,000 – comprising a cost of N20,000 each in favour of Abiru and the APC against Gbadamosi – after striking out Adegboruwa’s motion and adjourned hearing of all interlocutory applications, including APC’s objection to the suit, till yesterday.
However, BlackBox Nigeria learnt that the matter was adjourned to January 15th, 2021 for continuation of hearing. The 2nd and 3rs Defendants are expected to adopt and argue their counter affidavits.
