Following the appeal court ruling over stay of court proceedings filed by the first runner up of the September 2016 All Progressives Congress primary, Mr. Segun Abraham, the Ondo State Governor Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the appellate court judgment on the matter.
The appellate court sitting in Abuja had on Monday struck out the application for stay of court’s proceedings filed by the governor against Abraham who had earlier approached the high court to nullify the candidature of Akeredolu as the candidate of the APC in the November 2016 governorship election.
Abraham said the appellate court judgment was an indication of quit notice to Akeredolu as the governor of Ondo State.
But the governor in a statement said Abraham was only celebrating the appeal court ruling out of ignorance.
Akeredolu’s statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, said Abraham misinterpreted the court of appeal judgement, saying the substantive case was yet to commence.
The statement read, “The ruling of the appeal court is being unnecessarily blown out of proportion as a result of ignorance. What the appeal court ruled on was whether the service of the Originating Process on the APC secretariat in Abuja, instead of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was right or not. It is therefore surprising that this simple ruling is being twisted and misrepresented to the people.
“You’ll recall that Segun Abraham went to court to restrain INEC from recognizing Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, as the governorship candidate of APC.
“Governor Akeredolu had appealed the ruling of Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja, who ruled that an application for interim injunction sought by Abraham be heard. The governor later took the matter to the Appeal Court, who gave the latest ruling.
“However, it is very important to note that the Court of Appeal ruling bothers on whether the service of the Originating Process on APC secretariat in Abuja was proper service on Governor Akeredolu. The substantive case is yet to commence. But, what the Appeal Court held that the service was proper.”
The governor also appealed to the people of the state to remain calm and continue with their legitimate businesses, saying he would not be distracted in the task of developing the state.
