In the originating summons, Key also prayed for an order setting aside the declaration of Abiola as the winner of the PRP primaries.
By Jeffrey Agbo
A female presidential aspirant, Patience Key, has filed a suit against Kola Abiola at the Federal High Court, Abuja, asking the court to nullify the June 5 primaries that produced him as presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
The plaintiff listed PRP, Abiola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
In the originating summons, Key also prayed for an order setting aside the declaration of Abiola as the winner of the PRP primaries conducted across the country.
In the application dated and filed on June 28 by her lawyer, the politician alleged that the June 5 presidential primary election was conducted in gross violations of the party’s guidelines, “the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC’s guidelines in the nomination or sponsorship of the 2nd defendant (Abiola) as candidate of the 1st defendant (PRP) in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election.”
She, therefore, asked the court for an order restraining Abiola from parading himself as the winner of the PRP primaries.
The plaintiff also sought an order directing the party to instead submit her name to INEC as PRP presidential candidate.
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When the matter was called on Tuesday, counsel for the plaintiff, Ibrahim Audu, informed that he had been unable to serve the 2nd defendant (Abiola) with the amended originating summons.
Counsel to PRP, Jully Anyata, was in court, but no counsel appeared for Abiola and INEC.
Audu then told the court that he had a motion ex-parte dated August 4 and filed August 5, seeking for a substituted service of the amended originating summons on Abiola and an application seeking for leave to amend their originating summons.
But Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that the amended application ought to be properly filed and served on the defendants in the suit.
The judge consequently adjourned the matter till September 7 for further mention.
Abiola is the son of late Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 1993 presidential election.
