Ogun lawmakers drag Abiodun’s aides to court for non-compliance with electoral act

A few of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s aides have been sued by two members of the Ogun State House of Assembly for allegedly breaking the electoral law during the state’s most recent All Progressive Congress (APC) primary elections.

During the party’s primaries for the House of Assembly held in May, the governor’s aides Dorego Oluwatobi Aaron and Adebiyi Adeleye won the APC nominations for the Abeokuta South Constituency (I) and Remo North Constituencies, respectively.
Adeleye was the Special Adviser on Political Affairs, while Dorego was the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Housing.

The lawmakers – Yusuf Adejojo and Solomon Osho – alleged in separate suits at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, that the duo did not resign their appointments before contesting the primary elections as required by the Electoral Act.

The APC national leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC (Ogun State chapter) were also listed as respondents in the suits.

Adejojo had in a suit marked FHC/AB/CS/99/2022, asked the court to set aside the primary held on May 26 to determine Dorego’s candidacy for the State House of Assembly election.

Osho, in a suit marked FHC/AB/CS/98/2022, also submitted that Adeleye “having not resigned his appointment as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the governor was not qualified to contest the Ogun State House of Assembly election in view of Section 84 (12) of the electoral Act 2022 and the recent Judgment of the Supreme Court on the Section.”

Justice Oguntoyinbo adjourned the matter till July 28 for the hearing of preliminary objections.