2023: Court dismisses lawsuit challenging Governor Ayade's candidacy
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed a suit challenging the nomination of Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for the Northern District of Cross River.< /p>
The judge, Evelyn Maha, dismissed the lawsuit for lack of standing.
The case was brought by Cecilia Adams, an aspirant in the APC-led May 28 Senate primary in the state.
The APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Martins Orim, a candidate who withdrew after winning the May 28 primary, paving the way for a new race, joined the lawsuit with Mr. Ayade as co-accused.
Mr. Ayade emerged victorious in the rerun of the primaries held on July 14, an election he contested unopposed.
Dissatisfied with the emergence of Mr. Ayade as a candidate, Ms. Adams asked the court to order the INEC to recognize, accept and publish his name as the APC candidate for the district.
She had also asked the court to order the APC to hold another primary involving only those who contested the first primary held on May 28.
Rendering judgment in the case, Judge Maha ruled that Ms. Adams, having failed to participate in the rerun of the July 14 primaries won by Mr. Ayade, lacked standing to bring the action.
Judge Maha further ruled that Ms. Adams had failed to establish that Mr. Ayade had not been properly nominated by his party or that any of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the electoral law, INEC guidelines or the APC Constitution, had in any way been violated by the APC or Mr. Ayade in his emergence as an APC candidate.
Background
Mr. Ayade was elected state governor under the People's Democratic Party (PDP) but later defected to the ruling APC, a platform where he contested the presidential primary but lost to Bola Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State.< /p>
Mr. Tinubu garnered 1,271 votes to become the APC's presidential candidate, while Mr Ayade secured 37 votes. There were 54 accredited delegates from Cross River for the presidential primary.
Mr. Ayade, after losing the presidential primary, returned to contest the rerun of the primary for the senatorial election following the voluntary withdrawal of Mr. Orim who won the first primary.
Governor Ayade said he was under pressure from his people to run for the Senate after losing the presidential primary held in Abuja on June 8.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed a suit challenging the nomination of Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for the Northern District of Cross River.< /p>
The judge, Evelyn Maha, dismissed the lawsuit for lack of standing.
The case was brought by Cecilia Adams, an aspirant in the APC-led May 28 Senate primary in the state.
The APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Martins Orim, a candidate who withdrew after winning the May 28 primary, paving the way for a new race, joined the lawsuit with Mr. Ayade as co-accused.
Mr. Ayade emerged victorious in the rerun of the primaries held on July 14, an election he contested unopposed.
Dissatisfied with the emergence of Mr. Ayade as a candidate, Ms. Adams asked the court to order the INEC to recognize, accept and publish his name as the APC candidate for the district.
She had also asked the court to order the APC to hold another primary involving only those who contested the first primary held on May 28.
Rendering judgment in the case, Judge Maha ruled that Ms. Adams, having failed to participate in the rerun of the July 14 primaries won by Mr. Ayade, lacked standing to bring the action.
Judge Maha further ruled that Ms. Adams had failed to establish that Mr. Ayade had not been properly nominated by his party or that any of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the electoral law, INEC guidelines or the APC Constitution, had in any way been violated by the APC or Mr. Ayade in his emergence as an APC candidate.
Background
Mr. Ayade was elected state governor under the People's Democratic Party (PDP) but later defected to the ruling APC, a platform where he contested the presidential primary but lost to Bola Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State.< /p>
Mr. Tinubu garnered 1,271 votes to become the APC's presidential candidate, while Mr Ayade secured 37 votes. There were 54 accredited delegates from Cross River for the presidential primary.
Mr. Ayade, after losing the presidential primary, returned to contest the rerun of the primary for the senatorial election following the voluntary withdrawal of Mr. Orim who won the first primary.
Governor Ayade said he was under pressure from his people to run for the Senate after losing the presidential primary held in Abuja on June 8.
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