Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olakunle Oluomo has announced that the Assembly had formally received the judgment nullifying the election of a member representing Ikenne State Constituency, Babajide Owodunni, and as such he ceased to be a member.
The Speaker therefore explained that the Assembly was awaiting the issuance of Certificate of Return to the winner of the said judgement to be sworn-in.
Also at the plenary, Speaker Oluomo enjoined all stakeholders in justice dispensation to be more proactive in ensuring effective process of implementation of laws in the State to promote justice and rid the society of crimes and criminalities.
Meanwhile the Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos on Wednesday 22 of November, 2023, nullified the election of Hon. Babajide Owodunni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the lawmaker representing Ikenne State Constituency in the House of Assembly. And the court declared Hon. Kunle Sobukanla of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the elected lawmaker for the Constituency and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him a Certificate of Return.
INEC had in March 2023, declared Owodunni as the winner of the assembly election, despite the fact that on 6 March, 2023 – 12 days before the election – he had resigned from the PDP and withdrew from the contest in letters delivered to the party and INEC.
He also went to the High Court, where he swore to an affidavit of voluntary withdrawal from the race.
The Court of Appeal panel comprising of Hon Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, Hon. Justice Mohammed Baba Idris and Hon. Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari saw merit in the strong legal arguments and upheld them
And they withdrawal of Mr Babajide Owodunni was upheld by the court, while his declaration and return by INEC was set aside.
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