Court slams Fayose’s aide with N2m cost over frivolous suit

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has awarded a cost of N2 million against a media aide to former Governor Ayo Fayose, Lere Olayinka, for filing a suit against the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representative’s primary for Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 2.

The court presided by Justice Babs Kuewumi also dismissed the suit filed by Olayinka, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Federal Constituency for being frivolous and lacking merit.

Olayinka was challenging the nomination of the APC candidate, Mr. Biodun Omoleye in the primary held in Aramoko Ekiti in May.

Handing down his verdict in the suit numbered FHC/AD/CS/38/2022, Justice Kuewumi also dismissed the suit for being statute-barred.

He subsequently awarded N2 million against Olayinka, in favour of the APC and Omoleye and ordered that the cost be paid immediately.

Justice Kuewumi further held that Olayinka had no locus standi to institute the action describing the first plaintiff (Olayinka) as a “meddlesome interloper.”

Olayinka was the 1st plaintiff in the suit while his party, the PDP, was the 2nd plaintiff in the suit.

The defendants in the suit are the APC (1st), Independent National Electoral Commission (2nd) and Omoleye (3rd).

Olayinka was seeking the nullification of the primary election of the APC that produced Omoleye as its candidate for the forthcoming House of Representatives election on grounds of an alleged irregularity.

Reacting to the judgment, an APC chieftain in the Federal Constituency, Mr. Gboyega Ajayi, advised Olayinka to channel his energy into winning the hearts of the people of his constituency, “instead of chasing shadows by trying to manipulate the process through bogus court cases.”

Ajayi in a statement made available on Wednesday described Olayinka’s attempt to get the APC candidate, Omoleye, disqualified as an exercise in futility and a confirmation of the fact that he (Olayinka) is not ready for a free and fair contest.

He described his desperate quest to clinch the House of Representatives slot through the back door as distasteful adding that Olayinka instituted the case in the first instance having known he neither had the wherewithal nor the tenacity to win the February 25, 2023 election.

Ajayi said: “Lere Olayinka’s quest to deny the people of Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II their right to freely elect their preferred candidate for the election has failed,” he said

“Therefore, we want to caution the PDP and Olayinka to go to the field to canvass for votes, they should know that the era of ‘jankara’ judgment is long gone.

“We also advise the PDP to mend its crumbling home instead of meddling in the internal affairs of the APC. This judgment is a victory for democracy and affirmation of the victory of the APC candidate ahead of time.”