Following the appeal court ruling over stay
of court proceedings filed by the first runner
up of the September 2016 All Progressives
Congress primary, Mr. Segun Abraham, the
Ondo State Governor Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu
has approached the Supreme Court to
challenge the appellate court judgment on
the matter.
Segun Abraham was rumoured to be the
anointed candidate of a former governor of
Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The appellate court sitting in Abuja had on
Monday struck out the application for stay of
court’s proceedings filed by the governor
against Abraham who had earlier
approached the high court to nullify the
candidature of Akeredolu as the candidate
of the APC in the November 2016
governorship election.
Abraham said the appellate court judgment
was an indication of quit notice to
Akeredolu as the governor of Ondo State.
But the governor in a statement said
Abraham was only celebrating the appeal
court ruling out of ignorance.
Akeredolu’s statement issued on Tuesday by
his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Segun Ajiboye,
said Abraham misinterpreted the court of
appeal judgement, saying the substantive
case was yet to commence.
The statement read, “The ruling of the
appeal court is being unnecessarily blown
out of proportion as a result of ignorance.
What the appeal court ruled on was
whether the service of the Originating
Process on the APC secretariat in Abuja,
instead of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,
was right or not. It is therefore surprising
that this simple ruling is being twisted and
misrepresented to the people.
“You’ll recall that Segun Abraham went to
court to restrain INEC from recognizing
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, as the
governorship candidate of APC.
“Governor Akeredolu had appealed the
ruling of Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the
Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja, who
ruled that an application for interim
injunction sought by Abraham be heard. The
governor later took the matter to the Appeal
Court, who gave the latest ruling.
“However, it is very important to note that
the Court of Appeal ruling bothers on
whether the service of the Originating
Process on APC secretariat in Abuja was
proper service on Governor Akeredolu. The
substantive case is yet to commence. But,
what the Appeal Court held that the service
was proper.”
The governor also appealed to the people of
the state to remain calm and continue with
their legitimate businesses, saying he would
not be distracted in the task of developing
the state.
