Adebayo Shittu, minister of communication, has lost his case against the All Progressives Congress (APC) for disqualifying him from governorship primaries in Oyo state.
A federal high court sitting in Ibadan on Friday dismissed the suit on grounds that Shittu did not file the case within the time stipulated by law.
Okay Nigeria had reported in September 2018 that the APC refused to enlist Shittu as candidate contesting for Oyo governorship election for failure to participate in the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
However, the communication minister dragged to party to court for disqualifying him from the process.
Shittu had argued severally that the 1979 constitution, under the for a political post, did not make it mandatory for anyone seeking an elective position to present an NYSC certificate.
P.I Ajoku, the presiding judge of the case, dimissing the suit, said:
“I must first consider the provision of section 285 of the constitution that makes it mandatory for all pre-election matters to be filed within 14 days of occurrence,” she said.
“This particular case was not filed within 14 days, but outside the date. Therefore, I will not bother going into the merit of the case.
“Haven’t failed to satisfy the dictates of the constitution, the matter is hereby, struck out.”
In his reaction to the ruling , Adebayo Ojo, the defence counsel, said the law has taken it due course.
“The judge acted by the 1999 constitution and it is a victory for democracy.”
