UPDATE: Oni Denies Taking Fayemi To Court

The one-time Governor of Ekiti state, who also aspired to obtain the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the office but lost, Chief Segun Oni has refuted the report that he questioned the emergence of Fayemi, being the eventual flagbearer.

Oni was the runner-up to Fayemi at the party primaries some weeks back.

Fayemi, who was the former minister of mines and steel had visited the runner-up in his house in Ado Ekiti, a day in a bid to reconcile with him after he was declared winner.

In an earlier report published, Segun Oni had purported asked Federal High Court in Abuja to decide om whether Fayemi should vie for that office while he still occupied the federal appointment as at then.

The “originating summons” which was later said to have been influenced by agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti state, partly read:

“Whether by virtue of All Progressives Congress constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of All Progressive Congress 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the A.P.C Governorship primaries conducted on the 12th May, 2018, the 1st Defendant being a serving member of the Federal Executive and Federal Minister of Solid Minerals, Mines and Steel Development having not resigned his appointment as a member of Federal Executive and Minister of Solid Mineral, Mines and Steel Development, at all or at least 30 days to the said primaries election of 12th May, 2018 was qualified to contest and participate in the said All Progressive Congress Governorship primaries of 12th May, 2018 as an aspirant in that election,” the document read.

The suit was purportedly filed on his behalf by Gani Faniyi, a lawyer also continued pointing out that:

“Whether by virtue of All Progressive Congress Constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of All Progressive Congress 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the A.P.C Governorship primaries conducted on the 12th May, 2018, at Damilek Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti for the purpose of determining or nominating the 2nd Defendant candidate for the 12th July Ekiti State Governorship election, the 1st Defendant having being indicted by Rtd. Hon. Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry was qualified to contest and participate in the said All Progressives Congress Governorship primary of 12th May, 2018 as an aspirant in that election.”

Among the reliefs Oni was purportedly seeking are: “A declaration that the claimant (Oni) having scored 481 votes which is the majority of lawful and valid votes at the 2nd Defendant (APC) the 12th May, 2018 A.P.C Governorship primaries election for the purpose of determining the 2nd Defendant’s candidate for the 14th July 2018 election for the office of Governor Ekiti State is the person that was validly nominated by the 2nd Defendant for the 14th July, 2018 election for the office of Governor, Ekiti state.”

Subsequently, Chief Oni denied ever challenging the emergence of Fayemi as the party’s flagbearer on any ground.