Nigeria’s apex court, the Supreme Court, has dismissed a case by former Governor of Ekiti, Segun Oni, challenging the victory of Governor Kayode Fayemi as the Governor of the state.
Oni, who had earlier been booted out of office by the Appeal Tribunal, upholding the victory of Fayemi in the 2007 governorship election, had again challenged Fayemi’s victory, saying there were fresh evidence that suggested he won the election.
The Supreme Court on Friday described Oni’s frantic efforts to upturn Fayemi’s victory as mere academic exercise.
The Action Congress of Nigeria in Ekiti State had urged the Supreme Court not to entertain the appeal filed by the ousted Governor Segun Oni seeking to unseat Governor Kayode Fayemi.
The party stated that Oni’s recourse to the Supreme Court was an exercise in futility since the Court of Appeal has the final say in the governorship election petitions as at October 15, 2010 when the matter was decided in favour of Fayemi.
Oni, whose application for the review of October 15, 2010 judgment, removing him from office was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Ado-Ekiti had filed an appeal at the apex court.
The ousted governor asked the court to set aside the judgment which removed him from office and prayed the court to hear Fayemi’s case afresh.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the disputed election had accused the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, who headed the appeal panel which removed him from office of bias.
However, in a unanimous decision by a 7-man panel delivered in Abuja on Friday, the court said it lacks jurisdiction.
The lead judgement was read by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta to which others agreed.
