By Adadainfo
Matthew Kolawole, speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, will appeal a court ruling which refused to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognize him as the House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Constituency.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by his chief press secretary, Femi Olugbemi.
According to Femi, “Arrangements are being put in place to approach the Court of Appeal to review the decision of the lower court in line with instant laws in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/35/2022, filed to compel INEC to upload and publish his particulars as the duly elected candidate of the APC for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in year 2023 general elections.”
Our correspondent in Lokoja reported that Justice Peter H. Mallong dismissed Kolawole’s suit, where he sought to be certified by INEC as the authentic candidate for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Constituency.
Justice Mallong had ruled that INEC has the mandate to set a timeline for all its activities, adding that once the timeline elapsed, the court cannot force the umpire to extend it.
It was on that basis that the judge ruled that the court had no power to force INEC to accept Kolawole’s candidacy.
Kolawole in the statement expressed conviction that he would get the ruling in his favour at the Appeal Court.
He contended that he won the APC party primary of 27th May, 2022 in Kabba, which was duly monitored by INEC officials.
He had asked the court, in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/35/2022, to compel APC and INEC to recognize him by uploading his name as the candidate.
Aside Kolawole’s loss at the court, Justice Mallong also quashed a suit by fellow contestant, Segun Okobatoke, who sought the court to recognize him as the party’s candidate in the same party primary election.
