A suit has been filed against Prince Olaide Adewale Akinremi, the candidate for Ibadan-North Federal constituency contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the grounds that he is an ex-convict who was allegedly imprisoned less than 10 years ago.
According to information made available to SaharaReporters, the suit was filed on November 27, 2018, at the Federal High Court Ibadan by Mr. Stephen Johnson, a member of the constiituency in which the APC candidate is vying for a political post.
The suit with the number: FHC/IB/OS/138/18 has Mr Stephen Johnson as plaintiff/applicant and Prince Olaide Adewale Akinremi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants/respondents.
The suit claims that Prince Olaide Adewale Akinremi was convicted in 2013 at the criminal court of the Republic of Liberia for economic sabotage and theft of property.
The case involved former Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, Beatrice Munah Sieh-Brown, Harris Manneh Dunn, Prince O.A. Akinremi, Kamah N. Zeon and Nebo Garlo, who were accused of committing fraud to the tune of about $200,000, meant for police uniforms and related items.
The case was prosecuted by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the accused persons were indicted.
The suit became necessary, according to the applicant, “for the honourable court to make an order preserving the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from being breached by the Respondents”.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, section 107(1d), states that “No person shall be qualified for the elections to a House Of Assembly if within a period of less than ten years before the date of an election to the House of Assembly, he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or he has been found guilty of a contravention of the Code of Conduct.”
According to documents of the verdict obtained by the plaintiff from Liberia, the jury submitted that Akinremi and other accused persons were guilty of the offences.
According to the suit, Prince Olaide Adewale Akinremi was convicted in 2013, a period less than 10 years before his decision to run for office.
A court hearing was scheduled for January 29, 2019, but failed to hold as a result of the nationwide boycott ordered by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to protest the suspension of Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
Hearing has been adjourned till February 27, 2019, as the judge said she will be on national assignment in Abuja till February 25, 2019.
Attempts to reach Akinremi proved abortive, as after a few seconds of listening to our correspondent, the connection cut off. Further attempts to reach his line afterwards were unsuccessful.
