The legal battle over the governorship ticket of the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party (LP), for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state, was adjourned by the Federal High Court, Benin to Friday.
An aspirant, Mr Kenneth Imansuagbon, had approached the court, seeking the court’s order to disqualify the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Olumide Akpata.
When the pre-election matter came up for hearing, counsel to Akpata, Mr. N.E. Ogbeide, made an oral application for a short adjournment on the ground that he was yet to be served with the court processes by the counsel to the plaintiff, A.A. Malik (SAN).
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But Counsel to the plaintiff, Malik (SAN), opposed the application, saying that the case was ripe for hearing adding that the plaintiff had responded to the first defendant’s processes and served same on them since May 22nd 2024.
At this point, the presiding Judge, Justice Babatunde Quadri, ordered the court file to be shown to the disputing counsel, following which the first defendant’s counsel, N.E Ogbeide, conceded that the plaintiff’s processes had been served on them within the jurisdictional address.
Consequently, the presiding Judge, adjourned the hearing in the suit to 2 pm Friday (today).
Imansuangbon is challenging the nomination of Olumide Akpata on the grounds that the LP did not follow the electoral guidelines in the primaries and that he (Olumide) did not fill and sign the indemnity form among other grounds.
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