A call has gone to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement the judgement of Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin on authentic elected candidate for Ilorin South Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly.
A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Deputy Director General to Hassan Abdulazeez campaign organization, Hon Popoola Abdulkareem Babatunde made the call in Ilorin yesterday during the interview with newsmen.
He said the issues surrounding authentic candidate had been laid to rest through the judgement of Federal High Court delivered by Justice B.G. Ashigar on February 27 2019.
In a copy of the judgement which was made available to newsmen in a suit between Hassan Abdulazeez and Suleiman S. Abdulsalam, APC and INEC, the court recognized Hassan Abdulazeez as authentic candidate of APC emerged through the party primaries held on 6th October, 2018.
The court declared that the purported submission of the name of 1st defendant (Suleiman Abdulsalam) by APC to INEC other than the name of the plaintiff (Hassan Abdulazeez) was illegal, unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void and of no effect.
The court set aside the submission of Suleiman Abdulsalam by APC to INEC for Ilorin South constituency for March general elections.
Justice Ashigar restrained INEC from recognising and or continue to recognise Suleiman Abdulsalam as candidate for Ilorin South constituency for March general elections.
The court also restrained the 1st defendant, Suleiman Abdulsalam from parading himself as candidate for Ilorin South constituency for March general elections.
It equally mandated INEC to recognise and deal with the plaintiff as APC candidate Ilorin South constituency for March general elections.
Babatunde said the copy of judgement had been forwarded to the headquarters of INEC through the office of counsel to the plaintiff, Jawondo & Co., requesting electoral umpire to comply with the verdict.
He urged INEC to implement the court judgement before the issuance of certificate of return to the newly elected officers.
He also appealed to party members and supporters of the plaintiff to remain calm and be peaceful in the conduct, maintaining that Hassan Abdulazeez is still the authentic candidate as established by the court verdict.
Efforts to speak with the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Kwara state, Mallam Attahiru Madami proved abortive as he neither picked calls nor responded to text message to him as at the press time.
