Court Rules On Smart Adeyemi’s Case Against Ododo, APC

A suit instituted by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Smart Adeyemi, against the emergence of Usman Ododo as the party’s governorship candidate has been dismissed.

Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the suit on Wednesday, ruing that it lacked merit and substance to warrant granting requests made against Ododo and APC.

Justice Omotosho said the applicant needed to prove the allegations of forgery and falsification of results beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge noted that the burden rests on Senator Adeyemi to produce the forged result or the original results to discharge the burden, adding that failure to discharge the burden “is fatal to the case of the applicant.”

Justice Omotosho also held that the allegation that the election did not hold was also not substantiated as the applicant only provided evidence from his Ward in Ijumu LGA.

Justice Omotosho, therefore, dismissed the case for lacking in merit, stating that the APC primary election result was held in all the wards of Kogi State on April 14, 2023.