- A Federal High Court in Ibadan has fixed October 26, 2026, for a ruling in a suit challenging the APC primary for Oyo Federal Constituency
- Plaintiff Wakil Oyeleru Oyedemi is seeking a court order to nullify the APC House of Representatives primary, citing Electoral Act violations
- Senior lawyers representing all four parties appeared before Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha and made oral submissions on Monday
A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has adjourned to Monday, October 26, 2026, to deliver its ruling in a dispute over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency, also known as Oyo Federal Constituency, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The case, numbered FHC/IB/CS/64/2026, pits Wakil Oyeleru Oyedemi against the APC, one Akeem Adeyemi, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
What the plaintiff is asking the court to do
Oyedemi’s principal prayer before the court is for an order nullifying the APC House of Representatives primary held in Oyo Federal Constituency, on the grounds that it did not comply with the Electoral Act 2026 or the party’s own internal guidelines.
All parties were absent when the matter was called on Monday but were each represented by counsel. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunbi, appeared for the plaintiff; Ibrahim Bawa (SAN) led the legal team for the APC; Kazeem Adedeji appeared for Akeem Adeyemi, and A.F. Lawal represented INEC.
Adetunbi told the court that all necessary affidavits and exhibits had been filed, and urged the judge to examine Exhibit INEC 1, submitted by the third defendant, alongside Exhibit A recently filed by the APC, arguing that the signatures on both documents did not belong to the same person.
He also cited the case of Adeyemi vs APC, 2025 NWLR, Part 1927, 63, Page 119, to counter the APC’s objection that the plaintiff had no right to summon agents. On the issue of waiver, Adetunbi relied on paragraph 15:7 of the second defendant’s affidavit, contending that no waiver could arise where there was no accreditation across all local government areas, according to INEC’s own records.
Defendants push for dismissal
Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), counsel to the APC, urged the court to dismiss the originating summons, arguing the plaintiff filed 39 affidavits without obtaining leave of court, which he said was contrary to the rules governing such special proceedings. He added that the manner in which the matter was conducted ran against both the Evidence Act and the Electoral Act.
Kazeem Adedeji, appearing for the second defendant, said his preliminary objection rested on several grounds consistent with court rules, and asked the court to hold that the plaintiff’s case must fail both on the facts and in law. INEC’s counsel, A.F. Lawal, aligned his submissions with those of the APC and similarly asked the court to dismiss the originating summons.
After hearing from all counsel, the presiding judge, Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha, adjourned the matter to Monday, October 26, 2026, for ruling.
Source: Legit.ng