May 26, (THEWILL) – The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has appealed the ruling of the Governorship and House of Assembly Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in a petition brought before it by the party over the omission of the party’s name on the ballot papers used in conducting the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state.
The party said it was appealing the ruling because the judges that heard the case erred in their judgement.
It would be recalled that the Tribunal had, on April 15, 2023, dismissed the petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abiodun Adedapo Olusegun and the All Progressives Congress (APC), first to third respondents, respectively, on the ground that the debrief counsel asked for discontinuation and withdrawal of the petition.
But, in its appeal filed on May 22, 2023, in the suit No: EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023, the NNPP’s Counsel, I. D. Izunya (Esq), informed the Court of Appeal sitting in the Ibadan Judicial Division that it was dissatisfied with the unanimous judgement by the three judges, therefore, it is appealing the judgement.
Reiterating its position as contained in the petition No EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023, of April 15, 2023, it averred that: “The learned justices erred in law when they unanimously held that by Article 27.18 (iii), (v) and (vii) of the constitution of New Nigeria People’s Party (Hereinafter called NNPP), the National Legal Adviser of NNPP cannot take over the appellant case, brief another counsel and debrief the counsel on record, Mr. Peter I . Ogah, from further representing the party.
“That by Article 27.18 (iii), (v) and (vi) of the constitution of the NNPP, the National Legal Adviser of the Party is empowered to attend to all litigations and legal defence on behalf of the party at all levels, including its organs and coordinate the activities of Legal Advisers at all levels on legal matters affecting the party.
“That the learned counsel on record, Mr. Peter I Ogar, being engaged to represent the appellant by an organ/branch of the appellant, is by virtue of the constitution of the appellant, under the control and supervision of the National Legal Adviser of the appellant.
“That section 36 of the 1999 constitution (As amended) 2018 provided and recognised the right of the appellant to debrief and brief another counsel at any time of the proceeding.
“The learned Justices of the Tribunal erred in law when they allowed learned counsel, Peter I Ogar, to successfully withdraw the appellant’s petition and dismissed same when the provisions laid down by the Electoral Act, 2022 for the withdrawal of Petition has not been complied with.
“Section 30 (1) (a) & (b) of the Electoral Act, 2022 clearly provides that before leave for withdrawal of an election petition can be granted, each of the parties, in this case, all the respondents, shall produce an affidavit stating that no agreement or terms of any kind has been made and no undertaking has been entered. That the withdrawal of the appellant petition was done without the affidavit required by Electoral Act.
“The learned Justices of the Tribunal erred in law when they allowed the learned counsel to move motion for withdrawal of the appellant’s petition despite a protest letter of un-authorisation of withdrawal of petition dated 27th day of April 2023 and filed on the 29th day of April 2023, written by the appellant herself through the National Legal Adviser.
“That the appellant’s name is on the petition and not the lawyer’s name. That the appellant is the litigant and the person whose name appeared on the process of the court and therefore, the Chief Executive Officer and driver of her case, who drives and determines what and how the case should proceed.”
It could be recalled that the NNPP had, in the last election, ran an aggressive and people-oriented campaign, promising to bring relief to Nigerians through good governance and resources accountability but the INEC omitted its name on the ballot papers for the election.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
