A Federal High Court sitting in Akure has reserved its judgment on a case questioning the eligibility of Dr. Olaiyide Adelami, the Deputy Governor-elect of Ondo State.
The suit was filed by Mr. Agboola Ajayi, the governorship candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the recently concluded November 16 election, challenging Adelami’s qualification as the running mate to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
During the court session, six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) were present to represent the parties involved. The case, which was initially filed in Abuja, was transferred to Akure due to territorial jurisdiction.
Ajayi, who was the PDP candidate and finished as the second runner-up in the election, argued that Adelami should be disqualified due to discrepancies in his name.
According to Ajayi, Adelami is listed with conflicting names on different official documents, namely “Adelami Owolabi Jackson” on his West African Examination Council (WAEC) result from 1974, and “Adelami Olaide Owolabi” on his degree certificate from Ambrose Alli University in 1982.
Ajayi contended that these inconsistencies render Adelami constitutionally unqualified to run as Deputy Governor and further claimed that the APC lacked valid candidates for both Governor and Deputy Governor.
Representing the defendants, Dr. Remi Olatubora (SAN) argued that the variation in the names was not a legal issue, noting that the difference was merely in the order or arrangement of the names.
He pointed out that both names belonged to the same person and the documents in question were valid.
In the case, Adelami’s legal team, which included Dr. Olatubora, argued that the grievances raised by the plaintiffs were not based on any substantial legal grounds but rather on the arrangement of Adelami’s names.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC were also parties in the case, with each represented by senior counsels.
The court has reserved its judgment, which will determine whether Adelami and Governor Aiyedatiwa can retain their election victory or if a disqualification will be issued.
