Ede federal constituency seat dispute;
Court dismisses Ayo Asalus case against Bamidele Salam
……Fines Him 2m Naira!
A Federal High Court Sitting in Osogbo has dismissed a suit filed by Mr Ayodele Asalu challenging the nomination of Representative Bamidele Salam as candidate of the PDP for the 2023 House of Representatives election.
Delivering judgement today on the matter, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel described the suit as incompetent, frivolous and an abuse of the court process.
The Court held that Asalu, having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party has lost the locus to sue the party and its candidate on the outcome of the Party primaries held on the 22nd of May, 2022.
Describing Mr Asalu as a meddlesome interloper, the court said Party matters are internal affairs of the party which can only be addressed by those who are members of the party.
The court frowned at the conduct of the litigant and his lawyer and awarded a cost of 1 million Naira each in favour of Representative Salam and the Peoples Democratic Party.
It will be recalled that upon being defeated in the PDP House of Representatives primaries in the Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo federal constituency of Osun State, Mr Ayodele Asalu defected to the All Progressive Congress in a well publicised event where he promised to deliver Ejigbo Local Government to the APC in the last Governorship election, after meeting with the defeated governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Signed
Oladele Bamiji
Special Assistant On Strategic Communication To Rep Bamidele Salam, MHR.
16/09/2022