A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital has nullified the election of Hon. Isiaka Abiodun Akinlade as the House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency.

The Presiding Justice O.O.Oguntoyinbo in nullifying the primary that threw up Akinlade as candidate of the APC declared it as “irregular, null and void.”

The Court held that Akinlade never paid for an expression of interest and nomination forms and was not screened by the APC within the time prescribed by the party in respect of the National Assembly primary election for 2023 elections.

The Court therefore ordered a fresh primary within 40 days to select and nominate candidate for Yewa South and Ipokia Federal Constituency seat 2023 and restrained APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Akinlade as the House of Representatives candidate for Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency.

The Court also held that Akinlade, who was designated as second defendant, should be excluded from participating in the fresh primary election.

The suit was filed by an aggrieved aspirant Chief Michael Adebayo Adeleke against three defendants – the APC, Isiaq Abiodun Akinlade and INEC.

Adeleke had through his counsel, George Oyeniyi, prayed the Court to declare that the primary election conducted on May 27th 2022 at Orona Hall, Ilaro to select candidate for House of Representatives did not follow the party’s guidelines.

The Court noted that given the period Akinlade was first a senatorial aspirant to when he withdrew his interest in the Senate to join the race for the House of Representatives ticket, the time was already outside the window allowed by the party’s time table and could never have possibly bought an expression of interest form or be screened by the party.