A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed September 7, 2022 for further mention of a suit seeking to stop Kola Abiola, the son of late MKO Abiola, as presidential candidate of People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2023 general election
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, sitting as a vacation judge of the Abuja Division of the court, adjourned the matter after counsel for the plaintiff, Ibrahim Audu, informed the court that he had been unable to effect service of the amended originating summons on Mr Abiola.
The judge also held that the amended application ought to be properly filed and served on the defendants in the suit.
The plaintiff, Patience Ndidi Key, a female aspirant in the PRP’s presidential primaries, had sued the party, Abiola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
Although, counsel to the PRP, Jully Anyata, was in court, no counsel appeared for Abiola and INEC.
The plaintiff, in the earlier originating summons dated and filed on June 28, asked the court to invalidate the emergence of Kola Abiola as the party’s candidate and also prayed for an order setting aside the declaration of Abiola as the winner of the presidential primaries of the party conducted on June 5 across the country.
In the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1001/2022, the frontline politician alleged that the June 5 presidential primary election was conducted in gross violations of the party’s guidelines, “the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC’s guidelines in the nomination or sponsorship of the 2nd defendant (Abiola) as candidate of the 1st defendant (PRP) in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election.”
She asked the court for an order restraining Abiola from parading himself as the winner of the primaries.
The plaintiff, who prayed the court for an order declaring her as the valid winner of the presidential primary election of the party conducted on June 5, also sought an order directing the party to substitute Abiola’s name with hers and submit same to INEC as PRP’s presidential candidate.