In a decisive legal victory for the Ekiti State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 governorship poll in the state, Biodun Oyebanji, the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi challenging her disqualification from last year’s primaries of the party.
The judgment, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/2221/2025, delivered on Wednesday, effectively cleared the legal hurdles for Oyebanji.
It affirmed his nomination as the party’s candidate for the Ekiti State governorship election.
The plaintiff had sought to contest her disqualification during the party’s screening, naming the APC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Governor Oyebanji as defendants.
The presiding judge, Hon Justice Peter Lifu, dismissed the case on two primary grounds.
First, the court reaffirmed that the selection and nomination of candidates are strictly internal affairs of a political party.
The court noted that a political party maintains the sole prerogative to determine the eligibility of its members, and the judiciary lacks the jurisdiction to interfere in such domestic matters.
Secondly, the court ruled that the plaintiff failed to file the case within the strict timeframe required by the Electoral Act, 2022.
Because the suit was not initiated within the mandatory period for pre-election matters, it was deemed statute-barred.
The proceedings featured a robust legal presence, including Bashiru Ajibola for the APC; Adetunji Oso (SAN), Tamunotonye Ekundayo (Esq) and Umar Abdulhameed for Governor Oyebanji; and Nanyak Janfa for INEC.
