There is a new twist to the story of the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Abdulraheem Agboola, started when the election tribunal ordered fresh election in Ilorin South constituency. This was followed by the Court of Appeal judgement in Ilorin on October, where he was declared as the fully elected candidate.
Agboola had challenged the eligibility of the APC candidate and his party nomination process at the tribunal.
The judgement, delivered by Justice Hamman Barkar Hkawu, sacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Abdulazeez Oluwanilo and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the PDP candidate a Certificate of Return.
The court based its decision on the disputed primary election of the APC, which produced Alhaji Suleiman Abdulsalam, popularly known as Sule Cement, but was later replaced with a 28-year-old Abdulazeez Hassan Elewu.
The Appeal Court held that the APC had no valid candidate for the 2019 House of Assembly election and thereby declared the candidate with the second highest votes winner – the PDP candidate.
With a Certificate of Return, Agboola approached the House of Assembly for documentation and swearing in. But at the Assembly as he was prevented from entering the complex alongside his supporters and other PDP members with him.
Addressing journalists on the matter, the chairman, House Committee on Information, Culture and Tourism, Awolola Ayokunle, claimed that the House was served a court summon through a motion on notice with suit number FHC/IL/CS/157/2019, filed in the Federal High Court, Ilorin division.
“As the arm of government charged with the responsibility of lawmaking, the House cannot but abide by the law. However, the House is restrained from taking further steps in respect of the Certificate of Return issued to the PDP candidate for the Ilorin South constituency seat until the determination of the above said suit, scheduled to be moved on December 16, 2019.’’
But the state chairman of the PDP, Engr. Kola Shittu, an engineer, described the action of the House of Assembly as abuse of power and disregard for rule of law.
Shittu faulted the claim of the chairman, House Committee on Information, Culture and Tourism, saying the matter cannot be appealed. He saud that the House was served a court summon in respect of the matter. He said the reason given by the House for not swearing in the PDP candidate was laughable, adding that the Court of Appeal is the last court for all litigations arising from national and state assembly elections.
-Ademola Alade