Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Court of Appeal in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, yesterday declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly candidate for Ilorin South state constituency in the last general election, Hon. Abdulraheem Agboola, as duly elected.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Hamman Barkar Hkawu, therefore sacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Abdulazeez Oluwanilo, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the PDP candidate with the Certificate of Return.
The court based its decision on the disputed APC primaries which produced Abdulsalam, and was later replaced with a 28-year-old Abdulazeez Oluwanilo.
The appeal court held that APC has no valid candidate for the 2019 House of Assembly elections, and thereby declared the candidate with the second highest votes, which is the PDP candidate, Agboola, winner.
The PDP candidate had challenged the eligibility of APC candidate and his party nomination process at the tribunal.
The election tribunal had earlier ordered for fresh election in Ilorin South state constituency.
Meanwhile, the immediate past Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ali Ahmad, who represented Ilorin South in the eighth Assembly, have congratulated Agboola, stressing that he would be one of the ranking members in the Assembly.
According to Ahmad, “This is to congratulate my brother on his deserved victory at the Court of Appeal to represent my constituency in the Assembly. It’s all about Kwara State, and as the second most ranking member in the Assembly, I hope they both provide clear path to good governance.”
Also, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated its member, Agboola, on his victory at the Appeal Court against Oluwanilo of APC. In a statement issued in Ilorin, the Kwara State PDP Chairman, Hon. Kola Shittu, described the court’s ruling as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, describing the APC as a party that promotes manipulations and all sort of illegalities.
Shittu also commended Agboola for his resilience and determination to pursue justice to a logical end, and also hailed the Appeal Court justices for setting aside interests of manipulative forces and ensuring that justice was duly served.
The state PDP chairman commended the new lawmaker for his belief in the party’s leadership despite the prevailing circumstances, as he congratulated PDP members and supporters in Ilorin South on the Appeal Court verdict, urging them to continue to work for the success of the party.
Shittu assured the people of Ilorin South constituency of quality and impactful representation at the state Assembly through Agboola.
He also called on members and supporters of the PDP across the state to keep supporting leadership of the party and resist all forces of division within the party.
