Daud Olatunji
A legal battle is brewing ahead of the Ogun State local government elections as a lawyer and chairmanship aspirant for Sagamu Local Government Area, Prince Adebayo Ogunmeno, has taken the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to court over the selection of the party’s candidate for the November 16 polls.
In a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogunmeno is seeking an order to compel OGSIEC to remove the name of Afolabi Jubril Odulate, the APC’s chairmanship candidate for Sagamu, from the ballot.
He alleges that the ruling party unilaterally picked Odulate without holding a primary election, thereby disregarding the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the APC constitution.
Ogunmeno, who filed the case under the suit number FHC/AB/141/24, named the APC, Odulate, the Ogun APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, and several government officials, including the Commissioners for Special Duties and Environment, Ola Oresanya among the nine defendants.
The plaintiff contends that the APC violated its own rules and the Electoral Act by failing to conduct a direct, indirect, or consensus primary to select its chairmanship candidate for Sagamu.
Ogunmeno further argues that political appointees, such as Odulate, are not eligible to vote or be selected as delegates in the nomination process under the law.
In his originating summons, Ogunmeno urged the court to declare Odulate’s candidacy null and void, asserting that the party’s imposition of a candidate over other aspirants without due process is illegal.
He also requested that the court restrain Odulate from presenting himself as the APC candidate and direct the APC to withdraw his name from the list of candidates submitted to OGSIEC.
The lawsuit highlights rising tensions within the APC ahead of the local government elections, with party members across Ogun’s 20 local government areas protesting what they describe as the imposition of candidates by party leadership.
Ogunmeno’s legal move reflects growing discontent among aspirants sidelined in the party’s nomination process.
He is also asking the court to determine whether OGSIEC can legally include Odulate’s name on the ballot, knowing that the APC did not follow proper nomination procedures.
Among the reliefs sought, Ogunmeno is asking for a declaration that the APC’s selection process was unlawful and that political appointees should be disqualified from participating as delegates.
He is also seeking an order directing OGSIEC to remove Odulate’s name from the ballot and prohibit its inclusion in the 2024 local government election.
The case, which was filed on October 2, 2024, is expected to be a major test of the APC’s internal party democracy and the credibility of the upcoming local elections in Ogun State.
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