Biodun Olujimi sworn in as senator

Biodun Olujimi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, took her oath of office to represent Ekiti South in the Senate.

The swearing in was done by the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, at the start of plenary.

Her swearing in comes about week after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna declared her winner of the Ekiti South senatorial election held on February 23.

She replaced the former Senate spokesperson, Adedayo Adeyeye.

Mrs Olujimi who was the Minority Leader in the eight Senate, had filed a petition at the election tribunal, alleging that there were irregularities in the election after Mr Adeyeye was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She said she scored the highest number of lawful votes cast during the keenly contested poll. She asked the tribunal to nullify Mr Adeyeye’s victory and declare her winner or order a supplementary election accordingly in the district.

She claimed that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Acts, having been allegedly fraught with all manners of irregularities.

PREMIUM TIMES in September reported the initial sack of Mr Adeyeye by the tribunal in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital. The tribunal declared Mrs Olujimi winner.

At the final computation, Mrs Olujimi polled 54,894 votes to emerge victorious over the Senate committee chairman on media and publicity, who polled 52,243.

Last week, Justice Anyanwu upheld the tribunal ruling and directed INEC to issue a certificate of return to Mrs Olujimi.

Mrs Olujimi’s resumption brings the number of female lawmakers in the Senate to eight.

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APC has no governorship candidate in Bayelsa, court declares

The Federal High Court, Yenagoa, on Thursday declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not have a governorship candidate in the forthcoming election in Bayelsa State.

This development is coming two days to the election.

The court was presided over by Justice Jane Inyang.

The court declaration, on Thursday, was part of its judgement in a case filed by Heineken Lokpobiri, one of the APC governorship aspirants.

Mr Lokpobiri, a former minister of state for agriculture, had approached the court, asking it to declare him, and not David Lyon, the authentic candidate of the APC.

“The court pronounced that the governorship primary conducted by the APC in Bayelsa state was not done in compliance with the guidelines and the constitution of the party, and, therefore, the party has no candidate,” Mr Lokpobiri’s lawyer, Fitzgerald Olorogun, told reporters immediately after the court ruling.

A shocked Mr Olorogun said the court declaration was not part of their prayers. “It’s strange,” he said.

Asked what was the next option for his client, Mr Olorogun said “We’ll do the needful. But for now, the pronouncement of the court is that APC has no candidate.”

There was heavy police presence within and outside the court premises. The main highway way leading to the court was barricaded by the police. Visitors, including journalists, were frisked before they were allowed to enter the court building.

Mr Lokpobiri, before now, has been urging the people of Bayelsa to vote for the APC in the November 16 election, despite his court case against Mr Lyon and the party.

“I’m a very strong member of APC and I came today to formally tell our chairman and to speak to Nigerians, in particular, the electorate in Bayelsa that all of them should vote for APC regardless of what happens in the court case in which judgment is slated for Nov. 14, 2019,” the former minister said in Abuja after a courtesy visit on the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

“I told my supporters even before I came here that no matter what happened, I will remain in APC having served as a minister under this administration.

“There is no way the outcome of the governorship primaries will make me leave APC. We are working and campaigning at different levels.

“I always advise that anybody that is grieved, the only place to go is the court.

“So, whatever happens in the matter that is pending in court will not be an infraction on any part of our party’s constitution,” he said.

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday had disqualified Mr Lyon’s running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, from participating in the forthcoming election on the grounds that he provided conflicting information on the documents he presented to INEC.

The case against Mr Degi-Eremienyo was filed by the PDP.

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