The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a suit filed by a former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, challenging the eligibility of the incumbent governor, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, to contest the July 14, 2018 election in the state.
In dismissing the suit, the apex court in a unanimous judgment of its five-man bench held that it was statute-barred since the appeal was filed outside the time stipulated by law.
Oni contested the All Progressives Congress’ primary election which produced Fayemi as the party’s governorship candidate in the build-up to the July 14, 2018 Ekiti gubernatorial poll.
He had filed a suit to challenge Fayemi’s eligibility to contest the governorship election on the grounds that the governor failed to resign as Minister of Solid Minerals three months before the election, as required by law.
Oni also contended in his suit that Fayemi was indicted in the report of a Commission of Enquiry set up by Ekiti State Government under former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The report was also said to have prohibited Fayemi from holding public office for a period of 10 years.
Oni had lost the suit all the way to the Supreme Court, which dismissed it on Tuesday.
Delivering the lead judgment of the apex court, Justice Amiru Sanusi held that the appeal had been caught by Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution, which made it mandatory that all pre-election cases must be filed within 14 days.
