Date: 2017-10-18

A Kwara state High Court Tuesday trashed a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to stop the conduct of the November 18th local government elections in the state.

PDP had through its lead counsel, Salman Jawondo, approached the court to restrain the Kwara state Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) from conducting the said election into the 16 local councils.

Also joined in the suit was the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN).

PDP had anchored its claims on the alleged unconstitutionality inherent in KWAISEC guidelines for candidates participating in the council poll.

But in his ruling, Justice Sulaiman Akanbi said that there was nothing unconstitutional by the legislation passed by the Kwara state House of Assembly.

He therefore ordered the state electoral umpire to go ahead with the November 18th, 2017 local government elections.

He said: "What the Kwara state House of Assembly did constitutionally and additionally is to aide the Federal Law; the state law is not inconsistent with the Electoral law. Kwara state House of Assembly did not run foul of the Constitution rather it complemented it.

"It is crystal clear that the action of the Kwara state House of Assembly is constitutionally guaranteed as regards the council elections. Section 106 of the Constitution is also emphatic on this. I therefore resolved the two issues raised by the claimant in favour of the defendants."