Okitipupa/Irele Reps Primary: INEC, APC officials testify in Court

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday resumed hearing on the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and officials of the party’s primary election committee presenting evidence on the emergence of Dr Olumuyiwa Daramola as the winner.

The case, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, arose from a challenge to the conduct and outcome of the APC primary election, as well as the alleged subsequent substitution of Daramola’s name as the party’s candidate for the constituency.

At the resumed hearing, INEC, through its representative, confirmed that the commission monitored the primary election conducted by the APC and received the result declaring Daramola the winner.

The electoral body also tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the result before the court, providing documentary evidence of the outcome recorded at the primary.

The Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Election Committee for Ondo State, Hon Harry Iboroma, was also called to testify on the conduct of the exercise and the declaration of the result.

Iboroma told the court that, as chairman of the committee responsible for conducting the primary, he announced the result after the votes cast by the aspirants had been collated.

He further swore to an affidavit in which he affirmed that the lawful votes collated at the primary produced Daramola as the winner.

The Collation Officer for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency primary, Hon Wale Ogunmade, subsequently gave the court a breakdown of the votes recorded by the aspirants.

Ogunmade testified under oath that Daramola polled 6,547 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the incumbent, Hon Jimi Odimayo, who scored 827 votes.

The figures presented before the court showed a substantial margin between Daramola and his closest challenger, with the result forming a major part of the evidence relied upon in determining the dispute over the primary.

In addition to the oral and documentary evidence, video footage showing the announcement of the primary election result was played before the court.

The evidence presented by the electoral commission and the APC officials was consequently placed before the court for consideration alongside the arguments of the parties in the suit.

The proceedings focused on the validity of the primary election result and the events surrounding the recognition of the candidate for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency.

After the parties had presented their arguments and the court had considered the evidence before it, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter for judgment and ruling.

The court fixed October 19, 2026, for the delivery of its judgment and ruling on the case.

Daramola dragged Odimayo to court over the outcome of the primary, challenging the decision of the National Working Committee of the APC confirming Odimayo as the party’s candidate.