A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 8 to rule in a suit praying for the nullification of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Akinwumi Ambode.‎
Governorship election holds on April 11.

The plaintiffs – Olorunfemi Oluwatosin and Dada Joseph- are seeking an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission from allowing APC to field any governorship candidate for the governorship poll in Lagos.
The plaintiffs' argument is that the party's primary that produced Ambode as the APC governorship candidate was fraught with and predicated on irregularities.
According to them, inasmuch as delegates from the 37 Local Council Development Areas of Lagos were allowed to participate in the APC ward congresses, the outcome was null and void.
The plaintiffs argued that in line with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the party ward congress was meant to be conducted only in the 20 existing local government areas in the state.
Besides, they argued that the non-use of open ballot system during the ward congresses was u not procedural and illegal.
In their originating summons, which was filed shortly before the APC ward congresses last year, the plaintiffs, who are members of the party, had asked the court to restrain all the aspirants from participating in the primary.

Apart from the APC and INEC, other defendants in the suit are all the aspirants that contested against Ambode. They include Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Dr. Leke Pitan, Akin Ambode, Tayo Ayinde and Olasupo Shasore.
Others are Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mrs. Tokunbo Agbesanwa, Dr. Tola Kasali, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Lanre Ope, Tokunbo Wahab, Adekunle Disu and Abayomi Sutton.

The APC had in response to the plaintiffs' claims filed a preliminary objection.
The party is contending that Justice Mohammed Yunusa lack jurisdiction in the matter and that the plaintiffs have no locus standi to institute the action.
The party maintained that inasmuch as the plaintiffs did not participate in the primary, they had no legal right to complain about the manner in which it was conducted.
It added, "The conduct of the ward congresses for Lagos State gubernatorial primary nomination was done in the constitutionally recognised 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State and not in the 37 Local Council Development Areas as alleged by the plaintiffs.
"The plaintiffs have not disclosed any injury that the conduct of the ward congresses in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas has caused them, either individually and or collectively."
The party described the plaintiffs' case as academic, malafide, an abuse of court processes and one that was targeted at embarrassing the party.
It therefore asked the court to immediately dismiss the suit.

@blackboxupdate