Court orders APC to hold new primaries in Ondo constituency

The Federal High Court in Akure has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hold a new primary election to elect a candidate for the Akoko South East/Akoko South West Federal Constituency Ondo State.

The party is required to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission of the decision to hold the election within seven days.

The resolution is the product of a consent judgment rendered Thursday in the lawsuit filed by Victor Ategbole.

This is a contender, who had earlier approached the court to cancel the primary on the grounds that the primary, which was won by Adegboyega Adefarati, was not held at the appointed venue.

He said he stood in Akure, the state capital, outside the federal constituency.

The tribunal, presided over by Demi Ajayi, ordered INEC to hold another election within seven days.

The APC is expected to write within seven days of Thursday informing the INEC of its willingness to hold a new party primary election for the Akoko Southeast/Akoko Southwest Federal Constituency at the Patrick's Secondary School, Iwaro- Ok.

The parties would have accepted the position in the general interest of the APC.

Mr. Adefarati, APC, APC National Chairman, State APC Chairman Ade Adetimehin, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, were the defendants in the lawsuit.

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The court's decision was based on the out-of-court settlement agreed to by all parties involved in the case.

A copy of the written terms of court settlement signed by the plaintiffs, defendants and their attorneys, reads: "It is hereby agreed between the plaintiff on the one hand and the first, second, third and Fourth Defendants on the other, that the present lawsuit as constituted be dropped in the interest of Congress of all progressives.

“It is further agreed that the second defendant, the Congress of All Progressives, shall, within seven days from the date of pronouncement of these terms of settlement as judgment of this court in this matter or if soon thereafter, write formally to notify the fifth respondent of its willingness to hold a new APC primary for the Akoko Southeast and Akoko Southwest federal constituency at the approved location of the primaries, namely St. Patrick's Secondary School, Iwaro-Oka, Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State, Federal Constituency.

"Defendant 2 will invite appropriate officers of Defendant 5 to monitor proposed primary news for the Akoko Southeast/Akoko Southwest Federal Constituency.

"That the foregoing terms shall be the judgment of this honorable court in this matter. The parties bear their respective costs."

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