Court Sacks Labour Party’s Deputy Governorship Candidate 72 hours To Election

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, sacked the deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the state, Chief Idu Christopher Onyiloyi.

The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, restored Dr Ochechi Godwin Adejor as the deputy governorship candidate of the party for the election.

Justice Ekwo held that Onyiloyi, having voluntarily withdrawn his candidacy and deposed to an affidavit to that effect, he ceased in law to hold the same status.
The court held that evidence before it established that Onyiloyi personally wrote a letter to the party, wherein he withdrew from the governorship race.

It noted that the said letter was supported with a court affidavit.

Consequently, relying on sections 221, 222 of the 1999 Constitution and sections 29, 31, 32, 33 and 84 of the Electoral Act 2022, Justice Ekwo held that Onyiloyi, having voluntarily withdrawn his candidacy, he could no longer lay claim to the position.

He held that the party was under obligation to remove his name and replace it with that of Adejor.

Justice Ekwo ordered the LP to immediately forward the plaintiff’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for publication as its lawful deputy governorship candidate for the election.