Ekiti Race: Ojudu Shakes Off Legal Trap

Justice Abdul Kafarati of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja this afternoon set aside the judgement it delivered on 17 March, 2011 wherein he directed INEC to recognise Sen. Bode Ola as the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for Ekiti Central Senatorial district for Saturday’s National Assembly election.

While setting aside the judgement, the judge noted that ACN was not represented in the matter on which he delivered judgment on 17 March.

According to the judge, “the judgement delivered by this court on 17 March 2011 is hereby set aside having been delivered in default.

“The court did not take into consideration the proof of service before taking the decision. Although this is a pre-election matter which ought to be dispensed as fast as possible, parties, however, must be heard.”

Consequent upon this development, the coast is now clear for Ojudu to contest as candidate of ACN in Ekiti Central Senatorial District in the election coming up on Saturday.

—Felix Nnamdi/Abuja