A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has given Senator Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the September 22, 2018 governorship election in Osun State, up to September 19 to show cause why he should not be barred from contesting the election.
The court also ordered the West African Examination Council through its Director General or any designated officer to produce the ledger containing the results of all candidates who sat for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in May/June 1981 conducted in Ede Muslim High School, Ede, Osun State and to file same in court within five days of being served with the order.
The orders, made by Justice Othman Musa on September 11, an enrolled copy of which our reporter sighted in Abuja on Thursday, were part of the reliefs granted in an ex-parte motion filed on September 4 by Wahab Adekunle Raheem and Adam Omosalewa Habeeb.
The motion, marked: FCT/HC/BW/M/282/2018, was filed in suit number: FCT/HC/BW/CV/122/2018, in which the applicants (Raheem and Habeeb) are querying Adeleke’s qualification to contest the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.
Justice Musa also ordered WAEC to depose to an affidavit either denying or confirming that Adeleke, candidate 19645/149, sat for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in May/June 1981 conducted in Ede Muslim High School, Ede, Osun State and file the affidavit in court within five days of being served with the order.
The judge further ordered WAEC to serve the affidavit and the ledger on all parties to the suit within five days of being served with the order.
Justice Musa, who also ordered that court processes in the case be served on Adeleke through the Clerk of the Senate, abridged time to five working days within which the defendants are to file processes, granted accelerated hearing of the case.
The judge rejected the plaintiffs’ prayer for interim orders restraining Adeleke from parading himself as the PDP candidate for the election and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising him as the party’s candidate for the election.
Justice Musa said: “That orders IV and V are hereby refused in its place, the defendants are to show cause within five days from the day of service of the originating summons.”
The judge adjourned to September 19.
Other defendants in the suit beside Adeleke are the PDP and INEC.
