The Appeal Court sitting in Lagos state on Friday dismissed the appeal case filed by Hon. Olumide Ojerinde (Omo-Oloore) of the Accord Party for lack of merit and upheld the election victory of Hon. Prince Olaide Lateef Mohammed who was elected the representative of the Irepo/Orelope/Olorunsogo Federal Constituency under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The outcome of the Appeal Court has, thus, reaffirmed the 2023 general election when the electorate voted for Mohammed.
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Ojerinde had approached the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in an attempt to nullify the election results.
However, the tribunal dismissed the case for lack of merit and substantial evidence to prove his claim of victory and imposed a fine of N2.5 million as a testament to the misappropriation of the court’s valuable time.
Unperturbed by the tribunal’s judgment, Ojerinde sought redress at the Appeal Court. The Appeal Court, after diligent consideration, dismissed the case once more, citing a lack of substantial evidence and merit to substantiate his claims of victory in the 2023 legislative election.
The decision of the Court of Appeal marks the conclusion of a protracted legal battle between Mohammed and Ojerinde. It is essential to note that appeals from the National Assembly or State House of Assembly Election Tribunals are final, as enshrined in Section 246(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and judicially reaffirmed in the case of Ogboru v President Court of Appeal & Anor(2005) LPELR-7473(CA).
Speaking on the outcome of the Appeal, Mohammed expressed his profound satisfaction, describing the judgment as a resounding victory for democracy.
While he reiterated his faith in Nigeria’s judiciary system, Mohammed called upon progressive leaders and supporters within the constituency to rally around him, in a collective effort to advance significant development for the Irepo/Orelope/Olorunsogo Federal Constituency.
The verdict by the Appeal Court has affirmed the will of the people and solidified Mohammed’s commitment to serving the constituency diligently and delivering on the promises made during the election campaign.
