Ekiti female senators floor APC at Appeal Court

TWO female Senators representing Ekiti South and Ekiti Central respectively, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi and Mrs. Fatimat Rasaki have floored challengers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain their seats. The Court of Appeal in Ado Ekiti confirmed their elec­tions, last Thursday.

Chief Anthony Adeniyi of the APC challenged the victory of Mrs. Olujimi, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the March 28 poll.

Adeniyi wanted Mrs. Olujimi’s election nullified on grounds that she was not qualified to run claiming that she was a member of the National Communications Commission (NCC) board at the time she contested. The appellant also claimed that the senator did not re­sign her appointment within the time allowed by law.

The APC candidate in Ekiti Central, Gbenga Olo­fin alleged that the election conducted in the senato­rial district was marred by violence, corrupt practices and that Mrs. Rasaki was not validly elected by lawful votes cast at the poll.

Dismissing Olofin’s appeal, the court, in a judgment read by a member of the panel, Justice Chinwe Iyizo­ba, held that the evidence of the appellant’s witnesses were full of hearsay and could not be relied upon.