A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi, has reportedly been abducted by suspected criminals in Abuja shortly after leaving the Court of Appeal, where she had gone to obtain Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents connected to her legal challenge over the party’s governorship primary election.
Sources close to the matter said Olawumi had earlier appeared before the Supreme Court as a litigant in person to continue her legal challenge against the APC primary that produced Ekiti State Governor Abiodun Oyebanji as the party’s candidate.
According to the sources, the Supreme Court allowed her to represent herself in the matter, and after she presented her arguments and referenced relevant legal authorities, she was directed to obtain certified copies of key documents from the Court of Appeal before further proceedings could continue.
The alleged abduction reportedly occurred shortly after she departed the Court of Appeal on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that a group of suspected hoodlums attacked her before forcing her into a black SUV and taking her to an unknown destination. Her whereabouts remained unclear at the time of reporting, while the motive behind the alleged incident had not been established.
The development occurred amid her ongoing legal dispute over the APC governorship primary in Ekiti State. The Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official statement on the matter, as attempts to reach the Federal Capital Territory Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful.
Olawumi’s legal battle over the APC governorship ticket has continued for months. The Court of Appeal in Abuja had previously upheld Governor Abiodun Oyebanji’s candidacy for the upcoming Ekiti governorship election after dismissing Olawumi’s appeal challenging the outcome of the party primary.
A three-member panel led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko ruled that Olawumi’s appeal was incompetent, citing issues with her appellant’s brief, including failure to comply with the court’s prescribed page limit and lack of valid supporting arguments.
The appellate court also upheld Oyebanji’s cross-appeal, ruling that the lower court was wrong to classify Olawumi as an “aspirant” under provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, a decision that cleared the way for the governor’s nomination as the APC candidate.
In June, another application filed by Olawumi seeking to reopen her appeal after judgment had been reserved was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
The three-member panel described the application, filed through her lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), as lacking merit and an abuse of the judicial process.
Justice Okon Abang, who delivered the lead judgment, stated that it was unusual for a litigant to seek the reopening of an appeal simply because of a change in legal representation and an attempt to amend arguments already presented before the court.
The court noted that Olawumi had been present and represented by counsel when the appeal was heard and ruled that there was no legal basis for reopening the proceedings or claiming that her right to fair hearing had been violated.
