Lagos Council Polls: Court Orders APC To Conduct Primaries In Odi-Olowo Local Council Development Area

A Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, has dismissed the application of Mr. Rasaq Ajala, who was selected as the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Odi-Olowo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the forthcoming council elections in the state, to be joined as a defendant in the suit between Mr. Hakeem Abolaji Ishola and the All Progressives Congress (APC).                                                        
The suit (No.ID/1838/GCM/2017) in which the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) was joined as second defendant, had challenged the process of Mr. Ajala's emergence as candidate.  In his ruling on 7 July, Justice Okuwobi said Mr. Ajala filed his application after the court had reserved the matter for judgment.                  
The court held that Mr. Ajala did not provide sufficient proof of his membership of the APC, a nomination form and a proof that any primary election was held by the party at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. It similarly held that he did not show that he actually won the purported election at Teslim Balogun Stadium.                                          
On these grounds, Justice Okuwobi dismissed Mr. Ajala's application and granted all the reliefs sought by Mr. Saka. The court declared, as null and void, the list of chairmanship candidates to be submitted for the coming council polls in Odi-Olowo LCDA because the APC did not conduct primary elections for the purpose of electing its candidates in accordance with the party's constitution and provisions of the LASIEC Law.
The court equally nullified the aborted centralized chairmanship primary election at Teslim Balogun  Stadium, saying it contravened the party's constitution and LASIEC Law.  It restrained the APC from submitting any list pending when a proper primary election is conducted within the LCDA.
In addition, the court restrained LASIEC from using any list of chairmanship candidates submitted by the APC for the forthcoming polls in the LCDA, directing the party to conduct a proper primary election for LCDA in accordance with its constitution and LASIEC Law.