Ondo 2016: Appeal Court to determine Jegede’s fate on Tuesday

Following the ongoing conflict in Ondo State People’s Democratic Party over the choice of its standard bearer in next month’s gubernatorial election, the court of appeal has slated Tuesday, November 1 to hear the application of Eyitayo Jegede, of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Party.
The Point learnt that Jegede had approached the court seeking to upturn the order, which the Independent National Electoral Commission followed in announcing Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP candidate.
On October 14, Okon Abang, a judge of the federal high court, Abuja, ordered INEC to recognise Ibrahim, who belongs to the Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction.
When Jegede returned to the court on Thursday, Abang held that he lacked the locus standi to appeal the decision of the court.
“The only case where the applicant would have been considered as having a locus standi to contest the October 14, judgement is if he had taken part in the August 29 primary conducted by Mr. Sheriff’s faction,” Abang had said.
At the appeal court on Saturday, the three-man panel of judges, led by Jummai Sankey, said that to the urgency of Jegede’s application, the court would hear the matter on Tuesday.
“In view of the contentious notice, the appellant objector and appellant applicant are hereby given 24 hours to file their processes,” Sankey ruled.
“Application of the appellant applicant will be heard on Tuesday,” the judge said.