Justice Joyce Obehi Malik also awarded a total of N6 million to Adebutu, Akinlade and their party, PDP.
A Federal High Court in Abeokuta has dismissed a suit filed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to challenge the qualification of the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu and his running mate, Adekunle Akinlade.
While delivering his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Obehi Malik also awarded a total of N6 million to Adebutu, Akinlade and their party, PDP.
Chief Mike Ozekhome led a group of lawyers in the defence of Adebutu, Akinlade, and the PDP, including Prof. Amuda-Kannike, Chief Emeka Okpoko, Isiaka Olagunju, Kadiri Asamah, Clement Onwuenwunor, and others.
Wale Habeeb Ajayi represented the Plaintiff, APC. Ozekhome had urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety, notwithstanding the belated notice of discontinuance hurriedly filed by the APC.
According to the summary of the proceedings made available to SaharaReporters, Ozekhome argued that the case had come up on four different occasions for argument after issues had been properly joined by all parties and arguments had indeed commenced only on Tuesday.
This was before the APC threw in the towel by filing a notice of discontinuance Wednesday morning, the second day of hearing and argument.
"Citing several appellate court decisions, including amongst others, Zoaka v. Buba & Anor (2020), Ogbu v. Nnamchi & Anor (2014), Eronini v. Iheuko (1989), and Ezomo v. Ag, Bendel State (1986), Ozekhome urged Justice Joyce Obehi Malik to dismiss the suit in its entirety and award heavy cost of N3 million against the APC in favour of Adebutu, to prevent the APC from ever coming back through the back door to file a similar frivolous suit.
“Barrister Wale Habeeb conceded to the order of dismissal as being the proper order to make but conceded only N1 million as cost. The court wholly agreed with Chief Ozekhome and Kannike's submissions that the proper order to make in the circumstances of the case was one of outright dismissal and not one of merely striking out the case. She accordingly dismissed the case and awarded N6 million cost in favour of the defendants (N2 million apiece) to Hon Ladi Adebutu (the PDP’s governorship candidate for Ogun State), his running mate, Hon Adekunle Akinlade, and the PDP," the summary added.