Apex Court Affirms Kogi Speaker As Rep Candidate

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has validated the APC mandate of Matthew Kolawole for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency as the case filed by Segun Olobatoke to challenge his victory at the Court Appeal has been struck out in Abuja.

It would be recalled that upon concurrent loss at the trial in the Federal High Court, Lokoja and the Court of Appeal, Abuja last year, dismissing Segun Samuel Olobatoke’s suit for being incompetent and dissatisfied with the finding of the lower courts, Olatuoke appealed to the Supreme Court.

On Friday, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment, to the effect that the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004 does not apply to the Federal High Court and as such, the trial court ought not to have applied the act in dismissing the appellant’s originating summons.

On the request made by the appellant for the apex court to hear and determine the suit on the merit by invoking section 22 of the Supreme Court Act, the request was declined by the apex court because the 180 days allowed by section 285 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) has passed and as such, the appellant suit cannot be remitted to the Federal High Court, Lokoja for retrial because the action is statute barred.

The judge further said that the Supreme Court cannot exercise a stale jurisdiction. Thereafter, the apex court struck out the petitioner’s suit having been caught up by section 285 of the 1999 Constitution as Amended, foreclosing the opportunity of the Supreme Court to look at the case on its merit.

It is also important to set the record straight for the reading public, that the suit, challenging, Rt. Hon (Prince) Kolawole Mathew’s certificate has been struck out by the Supreme Court, thus putting paid to the challenge by Hon Segun Samuel Olobatoke in public to the INEC forms of year 2014, 2018, and 2022 in this pre-election matter.

Reacting to the judgment, the speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Mathew Kolawole said the victory at all levels of the courts is dedicated to the good people of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, urging the electorate to continue to have faith with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He also used the opportunity to appreciate Governor Yahaya Bello for his fatherly support and for being there for the party, stressing that the judiciary has further confirmed to be the last hope for the common man.