Court awards N2m against Fayose’s aide for being a ‘meddlesome interloper’

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has awarded a cost of N2 million against a media aide to former Governor Ayo Fayose, Lere Olayinka, for filing a suit against the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representative’s primary for Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 2.

The court presided by Justice Babs Kuewumi also dismissed the suit filed by Olayinka, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Federal Constituency for being frivolous and lacking merit.

Olayinka was challenging the nomination of the APC candidate, Mr. Biodun Omoleye in the primary held in Aramoko Ekiti in May.

Handing down his verdict in the suit numbered FHC/AD/CS/38/2022, Justice Kuewumi also dismissed the suit for being statute-barred.

He subsequently awarded N2 million against Olayinka, in favour of the APC and Omoleye and ordered that the cost be paid immediately.

Justice Kuewumi further held that Olayinka had no locus standi to institute the action describing the first plaintiff (Olayinka) as a “meddlesome interloper.”

Olayinka was the 1st plaintiff in the suit while his party, the PDP, was the 2nd plaintiff in the suit.

The defendants in the suit are the APC (1st), Independent National Electoral Commission (2nd) and Omoleye (3rd).

Olayinka was seeking the nullification of the primary election of the APC that produced Omoleye as its candidate for the forthcoming House of Representatives election on grounds of an alleged irregularity.