Date: 2019-12-12

The sacked Kwara state lawmaker, representing Ilorin South Constituency, Abdulazeez Elewu, has approached the Federal High Court, Ilorin to determine the legality of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to withdraw his Certificate of Return and Issue a new one to the second runner up in the March 9th, 2019 State Assembly election, Abdulraheem Agboola of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

In an originating summon, with suit number FHC/IL/CS/157/2019, Elewu joined the PDP Candidate, Agboola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi and the Clerk of Kwara state Assembly, Halima Jumai Kperogi as defendants.

Elewu premised his argument on the fact that in view of the judgement and order of the Federal High Court, Ilorin Division of 27th February, 2019 in suit number FHC/IL/CS/8/2019; himself (Elewu) being the plaintiff was declared as the lawful and legal candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) for Ilorin South State Constituency in the said suit against another aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sulaiman Abdulsalam.

The lawmaker claimed he partook in the election process from the party primaries stage and won, up till the general election, consequent upon which he was issued Certificate of Return by the electoral umpire, INEC and sworn in on June 11th, 2019 as a legislator in the 9th Kwara Assembly.

He said, he was however dismayed why another Court will rule or order INEC to issue the PDP candidate Certificate of Return, as a result of an Appeal Court Judgement where he (Elewu) is not even a party in the first place, when a subsisting court judgement/order declaring him (Elewu) the lawful candidate of the APC have not been set aside.

Elewu argued further that the case, which occasioned the Judgment ordering INEC to issue Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate, with suit number CA/IL/EPT/SH/2/2019 was between Jimoh Raheem Agboola and Sulaiman Sheu Abdulsalam and two others, which he claimed not to be one of them.

He claimed, that by the virtue of the judgement and order of the Federal High Court, Ilorin Division of 27th February, 2019, decalring him (Elewu) the lawful and legal candidate of the APC for Ilorin South State Constituency for the March, 2019 election, which was won by his party, APC, he was and remains the duly elected, and member of the Kwara state House of Assembly.