The Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, on Wednesday, reserved judgment in a case filed by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the recently concluded governorship election, Agboola Ajayi, against the deputy governor, Olayide Adelami, over alleged discrepancies in his academic certificates.
Adelami, the running mate of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was accused of having conflicting names on his academic credentials.
Ajayi, through his counsel, Mr M. Ndoka SAN, challenged Adelami’s eligibility to contest as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate, requesting the court to disqualify both Adelami and Aiyedatiwa.
The case, initially filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, was later transferred to the Akure Division for continuation.
Adelami, Aiyedatiwa, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission are listed as the first, second, third, and fourth defendants in the suit, respectively.
In the originating summons, Ajayi, who was the PDP’s candidate and came second in the election, alleged that the first defendant was known by multiple and inconsistent names, including Adelami Owolabi Jackson and Olaide Owolabi Adelami. The plaintiff argued that these discrepancies rendered Adelami ineligible to contest the election.
Ajayi sought a declaration that the APC had no validly nominated governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 2024 election. He also requested an order disqualifying the first and second defendants and restraining INEC from recognising them.
In his defence, counsel for Adelami, Mr Remi Olatubora, explained that the discrepancies involved variations in the arrangement of the names and not fraudulent claims. He stated that Adelami’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate from 1974 bore the name “Adelami Owolabi Jackson,” while his 1982 degree certificate from Ambrose Alli University had “Adelami Olaide Owolabi.”
Olatubora further argued that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to file the suit under Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, as they were not APC members and did not participate in the party’s primaries. He added that the suit was improperly filed as an originating summons rather than a writ of summons, which is required for cases involving allegations of fraud.
Justice Toyin Adegoke adjourned the case, stating that a judgment date would be communicated to the parties.