A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi, has taken her case to the Court of Appeal in Abuja to challenge her disqualification from the party’s governorship nomination process.
The appeal follows an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, which dismissed her suit on the grounds that it was statute-barred, holding that it was filed outside the 14-day limit required for pre-election matters.
Olawunmi is seeking to overturn the April 15, 2026 judgment in a suit filed against the All Progressives Congress, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji.
Through her counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye (SAN), she argued that the trial court erred by dismissing the case instead of striking it out after declining jurisdiction, which she claims resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
She urged the Court of Appeal to invoke its powers under Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act to assume jurisdiction and determine the substantive issues, describing the matter as a pre-election dispute requiring urgent resolution.
Olawunmi was disqualified by the APC during its 179th National Working Committee meeting held in October 2025, with the party citing concerns over her financial status and issues relating to her membership status.
The party subsequently excluded her from the governorship primary held on October 27, 2025.
However, she insists that her disqualification violates provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution, which outline eligibility requirements for governorship candidates.
She is asking the appellate court to nullify her disqualification, cancel the outcome of the primary election, and order the APC to conduct a fresh primary process.
She is also seeking an order restraining the party from excluding her from future nomination exercises and directing INEC to invalidate any candidate that emerged from the disputed primary pending a new election.
